Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge
by Genevieve Lee
Summary: “Do you think we’re meant to be with someone? And no matter what happens, no matter what mistakes you have made in the past, it will eventually never matter?” Christine knows she made a mistake. If she goes back to Erik, can they find their love again?
1. Prologue

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter One: Prologue  
By Genevieve Lee

**Genny's Note: This is probably not too smart, to start another story when I am barley through writing the second chapter of my newest story. But I couldn't help myself. So enjoy the prologue to "Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge."**

**Disclaimed: If I owned "The Phantom of the Opera" I would be doing better things with my life. But I do not. This goes for the whole story. I will not repeat this in any other chapter.**

**POV- Christine**

_Prologue (noun)  
A preface or introductory part of a discourse, poem, or novel._

She saw blackness, besides the few shapes floating around in her vision that could not be comprehended. One kept moving, pacing actually. It made her dizzy and she shut her eyes again. But away from that, she saw nothing. She shifted a little and immediately regretted the decision as pain shot through her head; a feeling much like a hammer pounding on a wall. She groaned involuntarily and moved again, hoping to make the pain go away. Her efforts did nothing, causing her to put a limp hand to her forehead as she did her best to see beyond the looming and blurry shapes. Someone's voice broke the eerie silence.

"Christine. _Mon cher_. Are you alright?" Raoul's face floated over her.

She looked up at the man hovering around, a worried expression etched all over his face. She whimpered as he put a hand to her head and more pain contracting itself through her skull. She point-blankly ignored him, more interested in the ongoing conflict in her head. She could not remember how she had gotten here.

Pieces of information clung to her memory. Raoul soaked to the bone and tied to a gate. Erik mask less and looking more angry and hurt than ever, the chandelier falling, then a fire. It was like an endless jigsaw puzzle, though; one too difficult to be able to put the pieces together.

She strained to remember. Nothing pieced together correctly and it was frustrating. She looked up at the man above her. His eyebrows were knotted together in the middle of his face as he gazed down lovingly at her.

"W-what happened last night?" Christine asked weakly.

"Christine, you're tired…let's just wait until-"

"No. Tell me now." She said more sternly. And Christine, never really the one to stand up for herself, made the man standing next to her bedside comply.

* * *

"You know, life is funny sometimes." Christine said, filling in the awkward silence that followed the retelling of last night's events. After a few brief reminders, everything from last night came back to her. It hit her with such intensity, not one detail slipped her mind. She could even count the tears Erik shed as she kissed him… 

"Funny? How?" The man asked incredulously, breaking Christine away from her thoughts.

"Not funny, 'Haha.' Funny, ironic." She replied, fingering the comforter aimlessly.

"What do you mean?" He asked, almost like he was hurt.

Christine immediately regretted her words. This man had done so much for her, and here she was going, practically mocking him. "No…I mean," She stammered, feeling like a complete fool. She paused, trying to collect her thoughts. "Do you believe in fate?"

"What?"

"Do you believe in fate?" She repeated, staring blankly at a wall.

"Like, what kind of fate?" He asked her softly.

"Do you think we're meant to be with someone? And no matter what happens, no matter what mistakes you have made in the past, it will eventually never matter?"

He was silent for several moments before responding. "I do not know Christine…" He trailed off, his blue eyes looking deep into her brown ones. "Do…do you regret your decision?"

She gazed at him for several long moments before turning away and looking out the window. "I am not too sure Raoul. I'm not sure of anything anymore.

**Genny's Note: If you haven't figured it out, this takes place the night after the "famous disaster" in The ALW musical. But it will also contain elements from Kay and Leroux as well. **


	2. Regrets

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Two: Regrets  
By Genevieve Lee

**Genny's Note: Well I just fell down the stairs and hurt my knee like the idiot I am. Lucky for you guys though, this means I have nothing better to do but type the first chapter of my story. Hehe, well enjoy. And this time, I ask you to please review. Thanks.**

**POV- Christine**

_Regrets (noun)  
A sense of loss, disappointment, dissatisfaction, etc._

Christine sat on her impossibly huge windowsill, staring at the outside world aimlessly.

"Excuse me, mademoiselle?"

Christine looked up to see a timid maid standing at her door. Christine gave a sweet smile and beckoned her inside the room. The maid nodded graciously and proceeded to walk into her chambers.

"I just wanted to drop a few towels off for you." The maid said, walking towards the huge bathroom with a few white towels in hand.

"Thank you." She replied politely, glancing back out of the window.

"If it is not too bold to ask, is everything alright, Mademoiselle Daaè?"

Christine gave a weak nod, deciding it wasn't wise to trust her voice. While the maid bustled about her room, she thought of something.

"Is Raoul back yet?"

"No, mademoiselle. He is still out making the wedding preparations."

Christine nodded slowly, not sure of what to think of him making wedding preparations so soon. Sure, she loved Raoul. She could never deny that much. It was all moving too fast for Christine; for only one month ago she was back at the opera house with Meg, and Erik was still tutoring her. The name pulled at her heartstrings.

_Erik._

She had been so heartless to him; after all he had done for her. He had comforted her after the death of her father, tutored her and given her the voice of an angel, and was there to drive all of her fears away. Sure, she had known him as the Angel of Music for most of their acquainted years, but once she found out he was a true living, breathing man, all her prayers had been answered. Or so she had thought.

When she saw his face, that mass of tangled flesh, everything had changed. She had suddenly realized why he was living beneath the opera house. He was hiding. She knew no one had accepted him and wanted to make things different for him. She wanted to show him that he could be loved, despite his deformity. How she wanted to. But what had gone wrong?

The first night she had seen Raoul at the opera, she knew things were bound to get messy. As much as she wanted to deny it, she had loved this boy since she was a young girl, when her Papa was still alive. But she had feelings for Erik too; ones she knew were stronger than those that were reserved for Raoul. She loved Raoul, but she was _in love_ with Erik.

But Erik's savage jealousy and anger had sent Christine into the arms of someone that made her feel safe. Then, on that fateful night, she chose Raoul, chose the safe way out. And every minute since then, she wondered if she made the wrong decision. She knew someone would always be there for Raoul, endless suitors would show up in her place, but Erik.

Erik needed her. He had no one else in the world and she left him for the dead. The mob most certainly found their way down and she shuddered to think what happened if they did find them. She just hoped Erik was smart enough to have used one of his many secret passages to escape. She didn't think she could live with herself if she knew that the mob had, indeed killed Erik because of her.

"Christine, my love…are you alright?"

Her thoughts immediately broke when she looked and saw Raoul standing in her doorway. She also realized she had started crying through the past few months' recollection of events. She quickly used the back of her palm to wipe away the tears. Raoul was beside her in seconds, wiping her tears away with the pads of his thumb, mumbling words of comfort into her chestnut curls, but this only made her start crying harder.

How could she possibly think of betraying him for his arch enemy when he was being so kind to her?

_This would be a lot easier if he was not such a wonderful man._

* * *

Two days later, she knew what she had to do. No matter what her mind told her, she had to remember her heart. She did not know how to go about it though. No matter how long Christine thought about it, she did not have any ideas. She needed to figure something out soon, preferably before the wedding. 

She was going to go back to Erik. She had to. He needed her, and much as she did not want to admit it, she needed him too. Ever since she had left, she felt as if her life had been empty. And it had not even been a week since they were separated, and she was barely able to function! She had not accepted food or left her bed in many days, mostly from the worries that were eating away at her.

She was afraid of how Raoul was going to react when she told him, and if he would even let her go. She would not even blame him if he didn't. She was also afraid of Erik's reaction. Would he welcome her back with open arms, or make her pay for being deceitful? This all considering he was even there. If he had escaped the mob, there was even no guarantee he was still living there. All these fears tugged at her heart endlessly, and she knew she had to say something soon. An opportunity presented itself as Raoul walked into her room.

"How are you doing, dear?"

She looked up and smiled.

_Here it goes._

"Not too well. In fact…" Here, she faltered. "May I talk to you Raoul?"

"Of course, my love. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Raoul." She paused. "Actually, no…I'm not." Tears welled in her eyes. "I made a mistake…"

Raoul simply stared at her, as if he knew what she meant before she even said he. He did not move to comfort her as tears fell down her porcelain cheeks.

"It's just…he needs me Raoul. He has no one. You…" She choked back a sob. "…have everything." She finished. "Just please…understand. I do love you. But I need to go back to him. I can't stay here…" She finished, looking down at her hands which were entwined in the comforter. It was quiet for a full minute before Raoul replied. When he did, his voice was shaking.

"You…after…going back to him?" He sputtered through his rage. His blue eyes bore into hers as he stood from the chair where he had sat. "After everything I've done for you?" He turned his back to her, obviously trying to shake his rage.

"Raoul! Please…understand!" She said through her tears.

He whirled to face her. "I will not allow you to go back to that…that…monster!" He sat down on the edge of the bed and gripped her shoulders. "You are my fiancé…not his! You will stay here!" He jerked her back and she fell against the headboard. He then stood and left without giving her a backward glance.

She cried for what seemed like an eternity. She had no clue what she was going to do. She was foolish to think she was going to leave with Raoul's blessing. But she knew one thing for sure, that she was still leaving. Once she was immersed into the blessed darkness beneath the opera house, she knew everything would fall into place.

She waited though, until the entire household fell completely silent, and she was sure everyone was asleep. Lucky for her, Raoul was a gentleman and did not believe in sharing a bedroom with someone you were not married to. She remained alone in her room, plotting her escape. When she came up with nothing that seemed full proof, she gave up. She knew one thing though, she could not just leave. She had to at least write a letter to Raoul expressing her actions. This is precisely what she did.

_My dearest Raoul,_

_I am sorry it must end like this, but you did not seem to hear me earlier tonight. I want you to know above everything else Raoul, that I do love you. Not as a husband, but as my best friend. Erik needs me, you do not. I wish you luck in your new life, and hope one day I can see you and smile at you and know I made the right decision. _

_All My Love,_

_Christine Daa__è_

After securing the letter in a place she knew he would find it, Christine glanced outside at the darkness and knew it was now or never. She stood, wrapping a blanket around her nightgown-clad body. She somehow knew this was not the smartest thing in the world, but it seemed like the right thing to do. Without another thought, she let her tiny feet pad silently through the mansion, keeping as quiet as possible. Within a matter of minutes, she stood outside of the estate.

She looked at the enormous house one last time, before treading down street. She had a bad feeling about going alone in the middle of the night, but she really had no choice. She continued silently down the street, going through alley ways, hoping to get there as quickly as possible. The thin material of her night gown clung to her, for she had abandoned the blanket long ago. She wrapped her arms around her frail, shivering body, ducking into another alley which at the end held the Rue Scribe entrance, oblivious to someone following her every move.

Her small slippered feet caught on something and she fell on the cold ground, a groan escaping her exhausted lips. She put her hands on the moist cement and began to hoist herself up, but suddenly a pair of very large hands gripped her shoulders and pulled her to her feet. She began to turn and thank the kind citizen when suddenly she was pressed up again a wall.

"You move a muscle, girlie and you're done for."

She was about to begin struggling when she felt the cool metal of a knife being pressed against her smooth throat. She froze and whimpered, knowing she may very well lose her life by the time the sun rose. He then turned her roughly around and slammed her into the wall. She could smell the alcohol on his breath as he got closer to her, beginning to rip at her nightgown. As he did so, she felt the knife move forward a little in the man's eagerness to get to her. Christine thought frantically. She did not make it this far to be raped and killed by some random bastard on the streets. She would not let this happen. She moved backwards, knocking the man several paces back.

Christine took advantage of this as she began running down the alley way, just hoping she could get to the entrance and disappear. The man seemed to be very drunk, and probably would not be able to find the tunnel. She was barley three feet in her escape when he grabbed her roughly by the shoulder again. She fell backwards and saw a man at the other end of the alley, where she had just come from.

"Help!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping the man at the end of the alley would help her. She was too distracted to look at him again as the huge man straddled her, and Christine could not help to think that she was in a worse position than before. She screamed as she began kicking and hitting him, hoping he could release her long enough to make a run for it. During the struggle, the knife sliced many pieces of her tender skin. She had tears streaming down her cheeks while she tried to get away, but these attempts were in vain.

"Stop moving girlie. This would go a lot quicker if you would just hold still!" He yelled finally getting on top of her again and holding her arms above her head, but she still wriggled beneath him. "I said…" He back handed her, "…to hold still!"

Christine squeezed her eyes closed, just waiting for it to be over. Suddenly though, his grip slackened and she took the opportunity to elbow him in the ribs. She flipped over out from underneath him and quickly looked up to see another man holding her attacker in a tight grip and whispering something in a menacing tone. There was soon a sickly sound of his head connecting with the hard brick wall, and then he crumbled to the floor.

Christine whimpered in fear as she tried standing up, only to stumble back down to the floor. Soon, her rescuer's arms wrapped around her, and he lifted her into his strong embrace. She was helpless to do anything else but wrap her arms around his neck and dig her head into his chest, sobbing uncontrollably into the warm material of his dress shirt

**Genny's Note: Well it's now 2 am and I think it is time to go to bed. I'll try to make he next chapter longer. But reviews would help encourage me. Thanks a bunch.**


	3. Return

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Four: Return  
By Genevieve Lee

**Genny's Note: Well nothing to really say, so here it is.**

**POV- Christine**

_Return (verb)  
to go or come back, as to a former place, position, or state_

Christine had no idea where she was going, and she did not dare look. Her arms were still wrapped around the arms of her savior. She was too afraid to look at who he was but he for he had been carrying her for quite some time. All she was really aware of was how cold it was, how violently her frail body was shaking, and how stupid she was for leaving. She knew she should have thought her plan out more carefully, or at least wait until it was light outside. She knew Erik was most likely not even there. If she had been in his position, she would have left too.

All she could hope for now was the man who saved her was going to be kind enough to let her go back home. If she had just exchanged the one maniac of a man in the alley for another, she would be in the same position, if not worse. Christine cautiously raised her head up from his chest timidly, hoping to see where she was going. But it was dark, so terribly dark. She could not see a thing. She glanced up at the man, hoping to see a glimpse of his facial features, but only a silhouette could be seen. She then began glancing around wildly, starting to get very frightened.

Christine let out a moan as she tried to wriggle free from her captor's grasp. She let her legs flail and her hands rest against his chest, pushing away from him. She felt his arms go around her legs tighter, restraining them from moving anymore.

"Please…set me down." She pleaded fearfully, still not too sure if this man could be trusted or not. At the sound of her voice, she could feel the man tense. She still kept her arms on his chest as she tried to push herself away again. "Please, I'm scared." She knew she sounded utterly childish, but she could not help it. But suddenly, to her surprise, he complied with her request. He set her down gently on the hard ground, keeping his hands on her shoulders, making sure she did not fall. She stumbled a bit in surprise, getting used to her legs.

After a few moments, realizing her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she bravely looked into the face of her savior. She could not believe who was staring at her. A mixture of relief and sadness filled her as she choked back a sob. Her hands flew to her face as it finally escaped.

"Christine, calm down!" Erik commanded, still holding her trembling body steady.

She heard his voice, but could not focus on the words. Everything seemed to be spinning, and what she could see was beginning to blur. She still heard Erik's voice far off, but it was if he was yelling for her miles away. She could focus on nothing, and suddenly she began losing grip with reality. The last thing she saw was Erik's white mask floating over her before darkness completely overtook everything.

* * *

Everything was black and cold. _This feels oddly familiar. _She thought sarcastically to herself. Only this time, she knew where she was. She could tell from the feel on the satin sheets beneath her. She could feel his presence in the room, even though she could not see him. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt too heavy. The immense pounding was still going on in her head, as it had for the past week. Finally, after a few minutes of gathering her strength, she finally opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was him. 

_Erik_.

Although half his face was still hidden beneath that dreaded mask, the concern was written everywhere on his features. It seemed that as soon as her eyes opened though, he put that wall up around his heart again. His expression turned completely normal, as if he had not been concerned for her only ten seconds ago. She lifted her body up weakly, only to collapse back down on the bed.

"Do not strain yourself, _dear_." He spit the last word out like venom. "You are very ill and should simply rest." He stood up, beginning to stride from the room. "I will bring you some tea."

"Erik, wait!" She didn't know why, but she did not want him to leave her. At the sound of her pleading voice, he sighed and turned around.

"Yes?" He asked expectedly; his voice holding a severe chill.

"Will you…" She paused, looking up at him. "Will you, just sit with me for a minute?" She asked innocently, looking up into his golden eyes. She could see the pain she was causing him in the short amount of time she had been awake. She felt horrible, but she had come back to Erik for him, because she loved him. Now the challenge lied ahead for convincing him.

He looked torn at her request, his face showing the same worried expression before he could stop it. She offered a small smile, only to be rewarded with his bitter façade once again.

"No. I really should see about the tea." He then strode from the room, not even bothering to look back.

She sighed bitterly, falling back against the pillows. Had it only been a year ago when he was still her Angel of Music, and life seemed perfect? Ever since she had entered womanhood, she had longed for her angel to be a real, breathing man that she could love. When he had gone from the Angel of Music to being simply Erik, she could never stop thinking of him as her angel. After all, it was he who had made her childhood bearable after the loss of her father.

She had no idea what he felt for her now. He probably hated her. Hell, she would hate herself too. She had acted on impulse and immaturity. Not understanding the depths of her feelings for Erik. That horrible night still rang clearly in her head.

_"God gave me courage to show you, you are not alone!"_

_The feel of his lips on hers was overpowering. They were both starving for each other, and neither bothered to hide it. Fire swam through her body and she could taste his salty tears mixed with her own. She flung her hand onto the ragged side of his face. He pulled back with a confused and happy look on his face. She had given a small smile before pulling his lips back down to her. The next thing she knew though, he was staggering away._

"_Take her! Forget me…forget all of this! Leave me alone; forget all you've seen! Go now! Don't let them find you!"_

_At this, she had run to Raoul, taking the noose from his neck and then began untying him._

_"Take the boat, swear to me never to tell!"_

_She could hear the mob coming closer and closer. Her heart was pounding wildly as she fought with the stubborn ropes that were coiled around his body._

_"The secrets you know of the Angel in Hell!"_

_Finally she got Raoul untied and he embraced her as she fought to look back at Erik._

_"Go now! Go now, and leave me!"_

_At his request, Raoul began tugging her towards the boat. Christine looked up at Erik as he disappeared into another room. She glanced down at her finger, seeing the ring there. Realizing something, she tugged her hand away from Raoul._

_"Christine! What are you doing? The mob is upon us, and we must go. Now!"_

_"No, Raoul! I need to give him something before we leave!"_

_"Christine! He has freed us! Are you mad?" He had urgently whispered. They both listened to the mob tearing down the staircase, and before he could react, she fled through the water and up the stairs to where Erik had gone. Raoul had been too cowardly to follow her though, which worked out better anyways. Once she knew Raoul was not in pursuit, she had slowed to a walk._

_As she entered the room, she saw Erik, standing with his back to her. His beautiful tenor voice filled the air as he sang softly._

_"Masquerade, paper faces on parade. Masquerade. Hide your face so the world will never find you."_

_He had then turned to face her, tears streaming down his face to match her own. For a few moments, they both looked into each other's eyes without saying a word._

_"Christine…I love you."_

_Her chest built up with emotion at hearing him sing for her for what may be the last time. She then stepped forward before she lost her courage. He looked at her questioningly as she slipped the ring off and stopped directly in front of him. Christine had then taken his hand and pressed it gently into his palm, before closing it around it. She looked tearfully up at Erik before slowly backing away and returning to Raoul._

It had been the hardest decision of her life, and the moment she had made her choice, she knew it was the wrong one. But Erik had frightened Christine, with his raging temper, savage anger, and his tender love. She could never begin to understand Erik and had longed for the safety of Raoul's embrace; something she could understand. It had all been based on something that was not real. It was true, she did love Raoul, but in a mere brother way. She could not get married to someone who reminded her of a brother. Which was how she had ended up back with Erik.

Though she knew convincing Erik of her self-discovery would prove more than difficult. The man was so stubborn, or he used to be. Now he was probably just heart-broken. She just hoped with all her whole being that she could make him forgive her, and understand why she had chosen Raoul that night. Her heart had told her to stay with Erik, but she could not. He probably would have thought it was all for Raoul's sake anyways. Perhaps it was better this way, since she had come back on her own accord.

So deep in thought was she, she didn't notice Erik until he barked her name. She jumped and looked fearfully up at him. His expression was a hard one, and did not soften at all. If anything, the scowl only become worse. She gave him a confused look, before he finally remembered his purpose in the room. He practically shoved the teacup into her trembling hands before turning to leave.

"Erik?"

He stopped, but did not turn around. "Yes Christine?"

"Thank you…" She whispered meekly, the teacup already halfway up to her lips.

He simply gave a curt nod before striding from the room.

_This may be harder than I thought..._

**Genny'****s Note: So not a whole lot E/C in this chapter, but he did just have his heart broken. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review. And I promise chapters will start getting longer as soon as I am out of school! I have finals and projects going on everywhere! And unlike normal schools, I do not get out until June 20****th****. Now I think I am actually going to watch the movie! Thanks to eyeplayclarinet and angel's-rain for being my first two reviewers! I hope you guys follow this story until its end!**


	4. Doubts

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Four: Doubts  
By Genevieve Lee

**Genny's Note: Well, I should be doing my History homework, but oh well. And thank you guys for the reviews so much! I would surely give up if I did not get any reviews. So you are not confused, this chapter will be told through Erik's point of view. Enjoy!**

**POV- Erik**

_Doubts (verb)  
to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe._

She was back. She was actually here with him. What he could not figure out was why she had been wandering dark alleyways alone, in the middle of the night in her nightgown! Not the smartest thing she's done, although Christine had always been quite naïve and childish. He had simply been out on an errand, and what he saw had shocked him. He had not realized it was Christine at first, and thought it simply a woman in distress.

He had almost left, thinking it was not his problem. But when the young woman had spotted him and called to him for help, he decided to interfere. It wasn't until after he had killed the drunk that he realized who the woman truly was, and he knew he could not leave her alone in the streets. Although he loathed her after what she had done to him, Erik knew he would never forgive himself if it were his fault something had happened to Christine. So he had taken her to the only place he would think of. His underground home.

But what he would do now, he had no idea. She was to be married to the de Changy boy! A future Vicomtesse missing only days before her wedding would be scandalous and he knew that the gossips in town would make up hideous rumors. He wanted to simply ask Christine what was going on, but he could not bring himself to have any real conversations with her.

He still had no idea if she was actually on her way to see him. His entire being doubted this, but she had been in the alley where the Rue Scribe entrance was…

But it was impossible! She had left him only a few days ago for the fop. She must not have been in her right mind if her intention was to see him. He had released her, wanting her to live the life she deserved on the surface world, and not in a world of darkness with him. She deserved everything, and he could not give her everything. As much as he had longed to keep her for himself, he could not. He would not let it happen. When she was finally ready to stay at last, he had let her go.

He had cursed himself every waking moment since then. She had finally chosen him, and what did he do? He sent her away! It was all probably for the love of the Victome anyways. If Erik had kept her down here, Christine would always hate him. He would have taken her freedom to live her life, and he knew he could never let that happen. He would rather her remember the fond times they did have, than having her loath him forever. He had given her up unselfishly, but now that she was here again, he was not too sure he would be able to watch her leave. He was sure he would truly die this time. Although the past few days, he had tried to convince himself that he hated her, but nothing worked. He knew he would love her until the day angels closed his eyes.

His goal was to help her with any problem she had at the current moment, without any emotional attachments, and then send her on her way with Raoul. Then maybe he could be left to live the rest of his miserable existence alone.

_But you don't want that. You want her to stay with you…_

The little voice in his head nagged. He shook his head, trying to rid of the thoughts. When had life become so complicated? He glanced around his music room, and realized he had been sitting there just thinking for quite some time. He took the pocket watch out from his breast pocket and glanced at the time and realized he should probably be making Christine something to eat. It was well past noon.

He stood up and walked into the kitchen, not knowing what to make. His house rarely had a lot of food and today was no exception. He managed to scrape together a beef stew that would do wonders with the fever she was currently experiencing. Erik then set up her bowl on a tray with a glass of water. Then, without realizing it, he began to stride over to where he had kept the roses he used to give her. The few days at a time she would spend with him, he had made sure Christine's meal was set up with one of his signature roses with the black ribbon. He always made certain he had some in the house. As his hand drew forward to open the cabinet, he suddenly became aware of what he was doing. He was going back to old habits.

He drew away as if the handle was scalding hot and backed away quickly. He shook his head and fearfully grabbed the tray and made his way to her room, deciding to forget it had happened. To his relief, she was sleeping. But upon closer inspection, he stopped dead in his tracks. She looked so beautiful. Her chestnut curls were spread prettily around the pillow and a few strands had fallen over her face and her mouth was slightly agape. She looked so innocent Erik could barley stand it. He set the tray down on a nightstand near her bed. Erik then glanced at her one more time before leaning over her and tucking the stray hair behind her ear. He then stood and walked out.

* * *

"Erik!" Her voice echoed through his house. He sat up in his coffin, not too sure if he heard it or was imagining it. 

"Erik! Please!" This time, he was sure of it. It was the middle of the night but he got out of the coffin as fast as he could then tore down the hall towards her room. A million horrible possibilities ran through his mind at once. He opened the door, and stumbled in. He realized with relief she was only dreaming. He bravely wandered closer to her bed and peered over at her. She was sweating and her face was contorted into an expression of anger. She was mumbling, but he could not make out any of the words. He gingerly sat down on the mattress next to her, simply observing her for a few minutes. She continued to mumble, and sometimes she would scream a coherent word. Sometimes it was his name, sometimes it was Raoul, and other times it was things that made no sense at all.

She did not seem to be quieting down anytime soon, but he did not want to wake her. Finally he decided on a solution. As he stroked her curly hair, he began to sing a simple lullaby.

_Sleep my child and peace attend thee,  
All through the night  
Guardian angels God will send thee,  
All through the night  
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,  
Hill and dale in slumber sleeping  
I my loved ones' watch am keeping,  
All through the night_

_  
Angels watching, ever around thee,  
All through the night  
Midnight slumber close surround thee,  
All through the night  
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,  
Hill and dale in slumber sleeping  
I my loved ones' watch am keeping,  
All through the night_

The song seemed to do the trick, for she suddenly had a very calm expression on her face. He timidly set his hand softly on her cheek where he stroked the skin for just a few moments. She smiled, and leaned into his touch. Or was he just imagining it? He did not know, and did not stay to ponder it.

* * *

A few hours later after sleep would not come, Erik had retired to his organ, one of the few things not destroyed by the mob. He played fiercely, letting the music consume his every being. He thought about playing Don Juan Triumphant, but he didn't dare. The last time he heard that music was _the night_, and he intended to keep it that way. He had written that opera to seduce Christine. He thought it had worked, until she had pulled off his mask, and everything had come crashing down. The look of horror and sorrow on her face was more than he could bear. 

Leaving the organ with an incoherent cord he stood abruptly and crossed the room, then back again, and again. He continued pacing and thinking, one of his favorite hobbies. Why the hell was Christine back? Was she in trouble? Did she need money? Or had everything been a simple coincidence? She had slept most of the day, only waking to eat the food he had left at her bedside table. He only knew this by the empty dishes, for when he returned she was asleep again.

The question that haunted him most of all, was would he fall victim to her innocence and beauty again? Would she leave him empty handed and broken hearted like she had last time? His eyes welled with unshed tears as he made his way over to the fireplace. He watched as the flames licked the logs and the fire popped. He looked into the intense glow until his eyes hurt and his vision was spotted. He gripped the mantle furiously as he leaned his head down into his chest.

"Oh, Christine."

His voice was a chocked murmur as he sat in his chair, his profile dark against the fire. His back was bent and his face was in his hands, and the only were his almost imperceptible sobs. He dried his eyes on his red satin handkerchief.

"Erik…"

He tuned around with a start, surprised to see Christine standing in the doorway. She was still in her nightgown and her face still had the pillow imprints as if she had just woken up. But what surprised him the most were the matching tears in her eyes.

She startled him, and he rose abruptly and looked at her with burning eyes. He was ashamed she had seen him crying. He was such a fool! Drawing into himself, he said coldly, "I thought you had gone to bed."

She took a shaky breath, as if trying to keep her emotions together. He looked at her with a stinging gaze, waiting for an answer. He suddenly felt afraid.

"Christine! What's wrong?" Erik asked.

"Why Erik?" She sobbed. "Why?"

Erik was taken aback. "Why what?"

"Why did you make me leave when I wanted to stay?" She took in a sputtering breath before continuing. "I wanted to stay Erik! I wanted to! But if I did you would think it was for Raoul! But it wasn't! Now you won't believe me! Erik! What do I have to do to make you understand?"

He stared at her, completely dumbfounded. She had wanted to…stay? With him? A monster? It was unbelievable. "I think the real question is what were doing alone in the middle of the night?" He shot back, clearly angry. The de Changey boy had promised he would take care of her. He _promised_. Now he had found Christine on the brink of being raped and possibly killed. If he had not stepped in, who knows what could have happened? He would pay dearly for not keeping Christine safe. Raoul could die a thousand painful deaths at Erik's hand but it would not be enough.

"I came back for you, Erik! Don't you understand?" She rasped.

"Understand? Understand!" He could feel his temper getting dangerously high. "You foolish child! Don't you know anything? Don't _you_ understand? You betrayed me after everything I have done for you! You betrayed me for _him_. Not even a week ago, Christine! _Not even a week_! And you show up and you expect me to believe what you say?" His anger flickered, and soon he has sobbing, choking and gasping for air. "I cannot bare to watch you leave me again. I will not let my heart go through that same torment. So please…. just leave me now."

He glanced nervously up at Christine who had seemed to regain a little composure during his outburst. Her eyes were dry and she stood calmly with her hands laced in front of her. If he didn't know any better, he would say she was nervous. She took a deep breath. "You want to know the real reason why I came back, Erik?" She asked softly.

Erik could do nothing but nod his head, looking down at his feet. He could not meet her gaze. He had just spilled out all his feelings to her and he was utterly humiliated.

"It's because…" She paused. "I love you."

**Genny's Note: Yay! She admitted it! Kind of a cliffhanger, but I'm not too sure what his reaction should be. Plus, I got this chapter up in record time. Yay for me! Hehe, anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll try to have the next one up soon. Thanks to you guys who review! It makes my entire day!**


	5. Rejection

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Five: Rejection  
By Genevieve Lee

**Genny's Note: Sorry this took so long! But at least it is here now, eh? My computer is still not working and I have finals this next week. But I should have another chapter up soon. I'm a fast test-taker, so I get lots of writing time. Well enjoy!**

**POV- Erik**

_Rejection (verb)  
To refuse to accept, submit to, believe, or make use of._

_I love you._

Had she really said those words? Did she mean them, or was she simply trying to worm her way back into his life? He knew he wanted to believe those words more than anything. The only thing he wanted to do was take her in his arms and tell her how much he still loved her but he could not move from the place he was standing in. He only could stare, dumbfounded at her and not sure how to react.

"Erik! Please say something!"

Her pleading words did nothing, for he could not focus. Did Christine love him? He did not know what to do. His lack of a reaction triggered a daring move from Christine. The next thing he knew, Christine was walking cautiously up to him, looking as frightened as he felt. Once she was a foot or so in front of him, she looked up at him with her tear-filled eyes.

"Erik…"

Her name sounded so beautiful on her rosy lips. She almost seemed to be trying to break him from his emotional trance. She did not give him time to respond though; the moment after she said his name, she stood on tiptoe and claimed his mouth with her own. Dozens of dizzying thoughts came to his mind, but as Christine deepened the kiss by pulling his head closer to hers, he let his mind go numb. They seemed starved for one another, as if they had been longing for this kiss since the day they had met face-to-face. His hands flew to around her waist as the kiss deepened. Suddenly, he felt her mouth open to his like a morning bud, and his heart began beating rather quickly.

_Love me, that's all I ask of you._

Their words mocked him, and suddenly he saw her on the roof again, kissing the boy and declaring her love to him. He, almost reluctantly, pulled away from her and took a few staggering steps back, separating them.

"No…" Came his ragged whisper.

"Erik! Please!" Christine yelled. "Believe me! I never wanted to leave you!"

Erik watched what happened next as if he stood outside himself, only an innocent bystander. Not getting a response from Erik, Christine let her shaky legs give out beneath her. Sobs shook her petite body as she doubled over and sobbed into her hands. He looked on, completely and utterly shocked by her actions. His heart ached to see her in this condition because of him.

"Get yourself together, child!" Erik yelled, though tears came to his own eyes. She seemed to not hear him though, because her weeping only continued. "Christine! Please…I can't bear your tears!" He fell to his knees before her. "Christine…" He sobbed her name. They sat for several minutes, weeping side by side. Erik was the first to regain his composure. He lifted his head and forced his tears to stop coming. He took a deep breath and glanced at Christine who still lay on the floor in a crumbled heap. He did not know what to do, so he did the only thing he could think of. He took her into his arms and rocked her back a forth gently.

"Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor

Grasp it, sense it. Tremulous and tender

Turn your face away

From the garish light of day

Turn your eyes away from cold unfeeling light

And listen to the music of the night.

Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams.

Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before.

Close your eyes and let your spirit start, to soar…"

Erik sang the lyrics to the song he had sung the night Christine had been introduced to him as a human, rather than an angel. He rocked her to his music, hoping to chase her hysteria away. Soon her sobs ceased and became soft whimpers as she buried her head into his chest. He rubbed her back, and soon she was asleep in his arms. He cherished her in his arms for a few moments.

"Erik!" A shrill voice broke the silence. In one swift movement, Erik set the sleeping from of Christine down and got his Punjab lasso from his coat pocked.

"Erik, calm down." A figure stepped from the shadows. "It is I."

"Daroga! If you value your life then I suggest you do not sneak up on me again." Erik said, making the lasso disappear just as fast as it had come.

"Erik, what is this?" He gestured towards Christine.

"Hush! You will wake her." He walked over to her and carefully scooped her into his arms.

"Put her to bed then I must speak with you." The Persian said with a sigh.

"Giving me orders in my own home, how unwise of you Monsieur Khan." Erik grumbled, making his way to her room. Once he reached it, he gently put her in the bed and slipped her shivering body under the covers. He then stood and looked back at her.

_I love you._

He still could not believe she had said those words to him! He, the monster, the Living Corpse, the Devil's Child, the Opera Ghost. Him. Not the Victome. How could he believe her though? He wanted to, but if it were all merely a joke he would surely die. In the end, he was just a trinket in her hands. He sighed, an with these thoughts floating around his head, he left the room.

"Erik." The Persian greeted him as he walked into the room. "You look…"

"Don't bother. I know I do not look well." He replied, sitting in the chair opposite of him. "Nadir, I have just had the shock of my life!"

"As have I, Erik! I woke up to read in the paper that the future Vicomtesse disappeared. I had hoped you would have nothing to do with it, but now I see I was terribly mistaken." He replied.

"She said she loves me…"

"Erik, come now! Tell me why you could not just let her be."

"Nadir! Do you hear what I am telling you? She came back for me! Me, Daroga!" Tears welled in his eyes. "Then she told me she loved me!"

"Are you trying to tell me that she left the Victome on her own accord after you released her?"

"Yes Nadir. When I let her go, I had no intention of ever seeing her again." He replied in a sincere tone.

"Well what happened?" Nadir persisted.

"I saved her from a drunken thug late in the night. She claims she was on her way to see me…" He paused for a moment before turning away and removing his mask. He wiped his sweaty brow and teary eyes before replacing it and looking back at him. "Since then, we have not spoken, truly spoken. Until now. She says she loves me, that she never wanted to leave…"

"Then why are you upset?" The Persian asked, confused.

Erik then slammed his fist down harshly on the small table in front of him. "Don't you see? He promised he would protect her! I would have never given her to him if I had known he could not keep her safe. He promised me!" He said bitterly. "And now she is merely playing with me! Once she had had her sun, she'll go back to the Victome just like last time!"

"Oh, Erik."

Both gentlemen turned to see a hurt and grief-stricken Christine standing in the doorway of her bedroom.

"Oh, Erik." She repeated, "Is that what you think? Do you truly think I would sink that low?" She asked; her voice sounding forced.

"You already have." He said venomously.

Christine gave a curt nod before replying. "So that is it then? You are just going to send me away? If you do, I will not go back to Raoul!"

Erik felt his heart stop. She knew he would never let her live a life on her own. He would rather her be with the boy then with neither of them. The only reason he had let the Victome take her away, was because he knew Raoul, much to Erik's bitterness, would take care of her. Christine was too fragile to go into the world alone. He had known this since the day he had seen her after she had lost her father. That was why he had taken her in, for he felt that finally maybe someone could need _him_.

"You will do as I say." Erik said, standing from the chair, Nadir remaining in the chair as an innocent observer.

"I am no longer a child, Erik! I am capable of making my own decisions. I just…" Here, she faltered. "I just want to stay here, with you."

"I regret that is not possible." Erik walked over to her and grabbed her roughly by the arm and turning to Nadir asked, "Will you please escort Mademoiselle Daee back to the Victome or shall I?"

Nadir scanned over Christine's face, which was distorted in pain. He reached forward and gently took her from him.

"I will take her, Erik."

"Good. It is settled then." Erik turned on his heels and left, slamming his bedroom door, leaving both guests dumbfounded. It wasn't until after he heard their retreating steps that he let himself cry.

**Genny's Note: Short, I know! But this is the only night for a while I will have access to a computer. I'll write out the text chapter this week and try to type it and get it up this weekend. Please review. And I'm sorry about the way this chapter ended.**


	6. Discovery

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Six: Discovery  
By Genevieve Lee

**Genny's Note: Well school is finally out. Hooray! So I will have a lot more writing time. I will try to have one or two more updates before next Saturday, because at that point I will be leaving for Hawaii with two of my best friends! Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up, but I was not too sure how to start it. Well, please review; it encourages me to write faster. Also, I am looking for a beta for this story. With my limited writing time and slight case of dislexia, a beta would do wonders. Well, let me know if you are interested.**

**POV: Erik**

_Discovery (verb)  
__to see, get knowledge of, learn of, find, or find out; gain sight or knowledge of._

Erik reluctantly mounted Caesar, knowing that he was probably going to regret what he was about to do. It had been three days since he had sent Christine with Nadir and back to M. de Changy. He had thought of her nonstop since then. He had almost immediately felt remorse about sending her away. If she did indeed love him, then he had made the biggest mistake of his miserable life. He knew that by the time he found her, she probably would have forgotten about him and would be in love with the boy all over again.

With these thoughts, he had decided to check on her, to be sure that she was indeed happy. He could not live with himself if he knew he had sent her to a life of misery. She deserved to be the happiest woman alive, even if it meant a life of loneliness for himself. He loved her with such depth that he feared she would never understand that he merely wanted what was best for her. She deserved to live a life of light, with parties, fabulous clothes and jewelry, and friends. All of which he could not offer. If she had stayed, she would always be on the run with him, since the Opera Ghost was still wanted. This had driven him to make his visit under the cloak of darkness.

Before he left, Erik made sure he his masked face was covered with the shadows his hat made and a large black cloak covered his frame. Lucky for him, Caesar was also black, so he blended in perfectly with the shadows that Erik kept them in. It did not take long to get to the Victome's manor, which he knew was heavily guarded with many members of the gendarmes. He dismounted his stallion, tying him to a tree that was nearby. Erik then made his way carefully towards the house, easily passing all the imbeciles whom were supposed to be watching the manor.

Within minutes, he was on the balcony where he knew Christine's chambers were. His heart beat at a steady pace as he slowly approached the window and looked through it. He watched with horror at the scene that unfolded before him. Of all people, Raoul was in Christine's room. Erik's heart skipped a beat as he looked feverishly looked around for Christine. He did not see her, which only led to more panic. Instead, he glanced back at Victome, deciding whether or not to make his presence known. He could perhaps get some information out of him about her whereabouts. Before he had a chance to make a decision though, Raoul did some questionable things.

He walked through her room for a moment, tracing his hand over her bureau. Raoul then made his way over to Christine's bed, sitting gingerly down at the edge. At once, Erik noticed it was perfectly made. He then grabbed what looked to be a piece of paper that was worn and had been clearly read and handled many times. He then skimmed over it before clutching it to his chest. To his surprise, Raoul then began uttering heart-wrenching sobs. If he were not his arch enemy, Erik might even feel sorry for him.

"Oh, why? Why, Christine!" Raoul mumbled before dropping the paper and walking from the room, now almost angry.

As Erik watched the boy leave Christine's room, panic filled his body. Christine obviously had not come back like he had intended her to. For a moment, he felt relief. But then an imposing question interrupted his short-lived victory.

_Where is she now?_

Without any question, he had to find out. His worst fear was something had happened to her on the way there and Nadir was too cowardly to tell him. If that were the case, Nadir would pay dearly. He began descending from the balcony when the image of Raoul holding a piece of paper made him stop. Why had he been holding it as if it was a lifeline? Perhaps it held some significance to Christine. It could even help him discover where she had gone to. Erik then turned around and went back to the window. After making sure there were no people around, he slid open the glass and climbed inside. Erik walked to Christine's bed, bent down and retrieved the forgotten parchment. He then sat on the bed, opened it and found it was written on with Christine's winding writing.

_My dearest Raoul,_

_I am sorry it must end like this, but you did not seem to hear me earlier tonight. I want you to know above everything else Raoul, that I do love you. Not as a husband, but as my best friend. Erik needs me, you do not. I wish you luck in your new life, and hope one day I can see you and smile at you and know I made the right decision. _

_All My Love,_

_Christine Daaè_

As he read the farewell letter, he felt his heart clench in his chest. She had truly left Raoul for him. And he had sent her away! He had to find her tonight, there was no other option. Stashing the note into his waistband, he retreated from the manor at a gallop, knowing exactly where he was going. He had a certain Persian he needed to speak with.

* * *

"Daroga!" Erik's loud voice echoed through the empty dark streets. But at this point he did not care. Raising his fists, he beat on the little wooden door until finally it swung open to reveal a very flabbergasted Nadir. 

"Erik! Do you plan on waking the whole--"

He did not get a chance to finish his sentence though, for the next thing he knew, Erik had him pressed up against a wall.

"So I took a little walk tonight…" Erik hissed in his ear. "I happened to pass by the de Changy manor, by sheer coincidence of course." He said sarcastically before continuing. "Everything seemed in place, but one thing you can answer for me Daroga is why Christine was not there?" At this point he pressed him farther into the wall. "Where is she, Nadir?" He demanded roughly. At the silence of Nadir, Erik brought him forward before slamming him back into the wall. "Answer me!" Then, realizing his grip was too strong on his throat for him to answer, Erik slackened it.

"Erik…" Nadir rasped. "Killing me will do you no good. You will never know where she went."

Erik highly doubted this. Christine could never be too far away. He would always find her. But the logical part of his mind agreed that if he got Nadir to cooperate, his search would go a lot faster. Finally at a rational state of mind, Erik released his old friend. The Persian then stumbled to his knees, coughing and gripping the neck that would surely be bruised in the morning.

"I was going to tell you." He said to his masked guest once he had caught his breath.

"Then tell me." He replied impatiently, folding his strong arms over his chest.

As Nadir stumbled to his feet, Erik sighed and with an impatient gesture walked deeper into his small home, with Nadir in tow.

"Did I ever tell you what a complete fool you are?" Nadir said, walking over to pour them both a drink.

"What?" Erik asked disbelievingly. "I have no time for this!"

"If you have time to send Mademoiselle Daaè away, find a few days later that you were wrong; then surely you can wait a few more minutes." He retaliated calmly as he handed Erik his drink.

Erik longed nothing more than to kill his foreign friend at that moment, but without him it may take him quite some time to find Christine. He sighed and waited as Nadir took a drink and savored the strong taste of alcohol.

"Did I ever tell you about my wife and I when we were courting?" He asked as he studied the liquid in the cup.

"Daroga…" Erik warned in a low voice.

"What?" He asked, glancing up at Erik.

"You are discussing your past while Christine is God knows where!" He set his still full glass down on the table with a thud and turned to him. "I need to see her!"

Nadir rose with his hands out in front of him in a calming gesture. "Okay, Erik. Calm down. I will tell you what happened. Just have a seat." He reached for his glass again.

"Nadir!"

"Sit!" He commanded. "If you want to know where she is, then I trust you will listen." With a low grumble, Erik complied.

"I was taking the girl where you told me to. The poor thing was crying the entire way. Mumbling things I could not understand and shaking like a leaf. Finally, when we were in front of the de Changy manor, she looked at it with such a sorrow expression on her face. She looked and me and told me she couldn't do it. If she wasn't going to be with you, then she did not want to be with anyone. Then, she asked me if I would take her to sergeant mother's house. Knowing it was a safe place to take her, I complied. I knew she wouldn't be there long. You were bound to come to your senses sometime."

"You knew I would come for her?" Erik asked incredulously, receiving only a nod from his friend. "But, how?"

"Though neither of you will admit it, your love is too strong for you to be separated for long. I knew if you didn't come to me for help, she would. It was only a matter of time. Luckily for both of you, it was sooner rather than later."

"Yes, luckily…" Erik whispered, looking down at his hands. Nadir simply looked at him dumbly.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go get her!" He commanded, not being able to keep the smile from his face.

Erik nodded and rose. "Thank you Daroga, you have been most helpful." Then with a swirl of his cape, he was gone.

**Genny's Note: Yay! I finished it. Well, hope you guys like it. I cannot promise a reunion next chapter, because I kind of want to go into what Christine was feeling during those few days; I don't know, maybe there will be. We shall see I suppose. Well please review! I'll try to have another chapter up before I leave!**


	7. Hospitality

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Seven: Hospitality  
By Genevieve Lee

**Genny's Note: Well next chapter. I could not sleep so here it is. I will not be able to put it up until the morning, since there is no Internet on this computer. But my Mama ordered us a new computer today! Yay! I should have it by the time I return from vacation on the 9****th**

**POV- Christine**

_Hospitality (noun)  
the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way._

Christine gazed wearily at the large manor in front of her. It looked so serene; nestled in the darkness with a few remaining lights on. Almost the entire house was sleeping, but she could guess who was still up. After several long moments, she felt a slight tugging on her arm towards the direction of the entrance.

"Come mademoiselle. We should get you out of this cold and into a warm house." Her companion said softly.

Christine looked at Nadir with saddened eyes before shaking her head, her feet planted in place. "No…I am sorry mousier, but I can't go back." Christine whispered, not able to trust her own voice. The Persian gave her a strange look before shaking his head.

"Mademoiselle Daee. I am sorry, but Erik…" He trailed off, not wanting to bring up the experience that was most likely breaking her heart as they spoke.

"Christine will do…" She said, correcting him away from his formal tone. "You do not understand. If I can't be with Erik…then I would rather--" She broke off as she let out a sob that she had been trying to hold back for quite some time. She took a deep breath before speaking again. "I would rather be alone."

"I do not want to force you somewhere you do not want to be…but Christine…Erik would kill me before I even had a chance to explain myself if anything happened to you." Nadir said gently, hoping she would see his point.

"I know…but what if I could offer another safe place for you to take me?" She asked, looking at him with tears in her eyes.

"I suppose it would depend where." He answered sternly, but ready to listen at anything the young woman suggested.

"You remember Madame Giry…the ballet mistress?" Christine asked. Receiving a nod from her companion, she continued. "She was like a mother to me and I know she would take me in! If only until I can manage alone."

Nadir stood in silence for a moment, and Christine could not blame him. It was a terrible risk to disobey direct orders from Erik. But she knew she could not go back to Raoul. He probably would not take her back anyways, for she had made it clear she was leaving him for Erik. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself as she waited in panic for Nadir to speak.

"I suppose it will be alright. I do remember you and Madame Giry having a close relationship. Also with little Meg, correct?" Christine nodded. "Well, it may be a better place for you to go anyways, until Erik comes to his senses at least."

Christine's head jerked up. "His senses? Why, whatever--"

"You do not truly believe he does not love you?" Silence was his only answer. "Oh, Christine, he still loves you. He is simply afraid of getting hurt again. But trust me when I tell you this; Erik may be a genius but he can be as dumb as a rock sometimes. Just with his hard life he cannot come to believe that someone like you could love him, despite his face." He looked her evenly in the eye, making her want to shrink away from his gaze. "Just give it a few days. He'll come around. And I will do whatever I can to help."

Christine smiled for the first time since they had set out from the opera house before throwing her arms around Erik's old friend. He timidly wrapped his arms around the young woman, before pulling away. "Now let us get you to Madame Giry's before you catch your death out here."

* * *

Luckily, Christine knew exactly where her old family was staying. They had given her their address when they had visited her at Raoul's manor. Only thirty minutes later, Nadir had seen Christine there, and she was changed into one of Meg's nightgowns with a cup of tea in hand. She sat across from Madame, whom had just sent Meg back to bed so she could speak with Christine privately. 

"Well, my dear?" Madame said after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"I suppose you would like to know what has happened…" Christine said shyly, setting her empty cup down on the table in front of her. Madame simply nodded to go on. With a heavy sigh, Christine managed to get the whole story out, from the beginning. She knew Madame Giry knew some of their affairs, but not the details. She started from when she had first heard Erik's voice when she was a child, all the way up until Erik had sent her away that very night. By the end she was weeping big, heart wrenching sobs.

"Oh Madame…I love him!" She hiccupped. "I love him so much, but he doesn't understand! He doesn't want to understand! What if Mousier Khan is wrong? What if he doesn't love me anymore? Oh, I simply don't know what to do without him! How could I have been so stupid? How could--"

Here, she erupted into a fury of sobs, unable to continue. Madame Giry was on her feet immediately, sitting next to Christine on the divan. She wrapped her arms around the young girl and rubbed her back, making shushing noises and comforting phrases. After several long minutes, Christine's sobs finally subsided and she lifted her head miserably.

"Oh, you must think me a fool." She said, taking the handkerchief Madame offered her.

"No, Christine, not at all. Anyone who loves Erik has their work cut out for them." She poured her another cup of tea and put it into Christine's trembling hands. "I do believe Erik will come for you soon." She wiped a stray tear off her cheek and smiled, placing her hand under Christine's chin. "Head up child, everything will work out. You'll see." After a few more minutes of their quiet conversation, Madame sent Christine to bed for a well-needed rest.

* * *

The next few days followed each other in a numbing unison. Each day was the same. She waited and hoped for Erik's return, only to be disappointed in the end. She didn't talk much and was very distant to her old friend, Meg. Christine could be found crying on their porch alone almost every night. In short, the poor girl was in agony. 

One night, Christine was sitting on the porch in her nightgown and robe, singing softly to herself.

"If only, if only, the moon speaks no reply,  
Reflecting the sun and all that's gone by.  
Be strong my weary child, turn around boldly.  
Fly high, my baby bird,  
My angel, my only."

Finishing the short lullaby, she sighed and let her eyes wander to the night sky. Again, she was thinking of Erik, wondering if he was ever going to come back to her. She had decided that if he had not come in the next week, she was going to go back to him and try again. Without Erik, Christine's life held no meaning.

"Christine?"

Startled, she turned to face her old friend. She gave her a weary smile before gesturing to sit next to her.

"Hello Meg."

The blonde girl eagerly sat next to Christine and looked at her worriedly. "How are you tonight?"

Christine's eyes slowly wandered to the dark sky again, quiet for a moment thinking of a way to reply. "I could be better." Then, she gave a rare playful smile. "I could be worse I suppose too." She paused. "So did your mother tell you what happened?" Christine inquired, hoping the answer was yes. She had asked Madame to explain to Meg, so perhaps she could understand why she was so distant.

Meg gave a weak nod before looking at her friend. "So what is it like?"

Christine looked at her with question in her eyes. "What is what like?"

"To be in love, silly!" Meg's eyes glowed, and for a fleeting moment, Christine felt like they were back to being silly little ballet rats. Gossiping and talking about how one day they would both be happily in love and married and how they would always be best friends.

Christine's eyes darkened for a moment before she gave a weary smile. "Oh, Meg. I wish I could tell you good things about it. When I am with him, it is the best thing in the world. But right now, it is excruciating." Christine could feel the tears slipping down her porcelain cheeks. Funny, she thought she had already cried all her tears. "I just want him to come back. Just…so I can understand what he is feeling. So I can explain to him."

Meg wrapped her arms around her almost sister. "Oh, how insensitive of me! I am sorry Christine! I did not mean to make you cry!"

Christine wiped her eyes before giving a small laugh. "It's quite alright Meg. You did not mean too. I'm just a mess right now!" She said as she sniffled.

Both girls looked at each other and smiled, and suddenly Christine felt very lucky to have a friend like her. She decided then that no matter what happened, she would make sure her and Meg remained friends. At that moment though, her serene feeling was shattered by Madame's voice inside.

"I assure you Mousier there is no one here you would be interested in seeing!"

"Then you would not mind me looking around!" A male voice answered.

Christine's heart clenched at the familiarity of it. She stood abruptly and looked at Meg. "What is it?" Her friend asked worriedly.

"An unwanted visitor." Christine replied as she headed towards the door. As she reached for the knob though, the door flew open.

"Christine!"

Christine gazed at the man that filled the doorframe and she took a deep breath before replying in a shaking voice. "Raoul, what are you doing here?"

**G****enny's Note: Dun, dun, dunnn! Raoul returns! Just a little hint to the next chapter, this is the same night Erik comes back! Hehe, I could not keep it to myself! Well, one more update before vacation! Oh! And ten dollars (but not really) to whoever can tell me where the lullaby is from! Also, please review. It makes me smile!**


	8. Altercation

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Eight: Altercation  
By Genevieve Lee

**Genny's Note: I decided I am going to reply to all my reviews at the beginning of the chapter, so there. Hehe. But I am only replying to the ones who reviewed from chapter 7.**

**Scorpionorchid: **I am waiting for Raoul to leave too! He can be a butt sometimes, I have to admit!**  
MimaEtcy: **Yay! You got the lullaby! I had just watched that movie the night I wrote this and decided to slip it in.**  
Avatarwolf: **Hahaha. I laughed so hard at your review. It made me smile. Thanks for your enthusiasm.**  
rose123579: -**blushes- Well thank you. I'm trying.**  
eyeplayclarinet: **Hmm…I do not know if he will drag her back! I still have to think about it. Well I suppose the answers are currently below!  
**Dawn Catcher: **Hehe, well he had to come back sometime! And I will have fun, thanks. Though I will miss my writing!

**POV: Christine**

_Altercation (noun)  
__A heated or angry dispute; noisy argument or controversy; an understatement about what is going to happen._

Raoul stared at her with disbelief before wrapping his arms around her. "Oh, Christine! Thank God you are alright!"

Christine struggled away from his grasp and backed up. "Of course I'm okay…did you not find my letter?" She knew it was unlikely, she had been gone over a week and she had made sure to put it in a place where he would find it. If he had not found it, certainly one of the servants would have.

"Yes, but I knew you would come to your senses." He reached out and pet her as if she was a long lost puppy who had finally found her way home. "But why didn't you come back to me right away? I would not have been angry at you, Christine. I could never be angry at you." When she remained silent and motionless, he reached forward and grabbed her hand. "Come, my dear. Let us go home. We will be wed tomorrow."

Christine then let Raoul lead her a few steps before she came back into reality. She could not marry Raoul! She wanted Erik to be the one to wake up to each and every day, to fight with, to have children with. She wanted Erik to be her husband. Although deep down, she had known this all along, the reality still hit her with intensity. She fought to regain her freedom, stumbling back behind the bewildered Meg when she was free. "No, Raoul…everything I said in that letter was true. I…" At that moment Madame Giry came outside and ushered Meg in, seeing that Christine and Raoul should be alone. That of which she was thankful. "I don't want to marry you."

It took the Victome a few moments to reply. "But Christine…" He said with bewilderment. "It is what you have wanted all along. After I saved you from that monster--"

"Erik is not a monster! He is the one I want to be with! I love him!" Christine spat out before she could stop herself.

Raoul's face contorted in anger as he took a menacing step towards the frightened young woman. "How dare you! After I risked everything for you! My life and my placement in society! Everyone couldn't believe that the great Victome Raoul de Changy was marrying a commoner! A chorus girl! But I risked the stares and the whispers all for you! Now you are going back to the Opera Ghost? Well you know what that makes you?" He did not wait for a response. "A whore! You hear that Christine! You are nothing but a whore!"

Christine did not falter, nor did she raise her voice. "Well then this should be a good deal to you mousier. Now that I will be gone, you will be free to marry whomever you please." Christine was vaguely aware of a pounding at Madame's front door and yelling from the small house, but she paid it no heed.

"You're right. I am allowed to marry whomever I please. Well my dear, Christine. It was you I had chosen and you I choose now!" He reached forward and grabbed her upper arm with one hand and her wrist of the opposite arm with his other hand. Christine's face contorted in pain as she let out a slight yelp in surprise as she tried to struggle off as he began dragging her away like an animal. Suddenly though, the back door flew open before they were even halfway down the porch steps.

Christine looked at it hopefully, thinking Madame or Meg had finally seen enough. Instead though, a dark shadow filled the doorframe. Raoul saw too, and began urgently tugging her away. Christine saw the man's face turn from worry to anger in a matter of seconds before she was forced to turn away by Raoul's urgent pulling. In a few short moments, she felt Raoul's deathly grip released as he took a few steps backwards. Christine immediately turned around and was face to face with Erik. For a few heart-wrenching seconds they simply stared into each others' eyes, and Christine wanted nothing more than to have his arms wrap around her. She was about to walk forward to make that happen, when Erik stepped carefully around her. Erik reached for Christine and pulled her behind him, placing himself between Raoul and herself. She peered over his shoulder and observed the scene that ensued.

Neither man appeared armed; this somehow annoyed Christine. Apparently both men had expected to come for her, find Christine and simply take her with him. Her heart picked up pace as she realized that Erik was probably very, very angry. And with despair in her heart she realized that he would not need a weapon to kill Raoul. Although she no longer was in love with him, the last thing she wanted was Erik to have Raoul's death on his conscious; or rather on her's. Christine knew Raoul was no match for Erik.

"What an unpleasant surprise." Erik said as he clenched and unclenched his fists; obviously trying to control his anger. "I was not expecting to find you here."

To both Erik and Christine's shock, Raoul sped forward and with his fist, hit Erik in the jaw. With dread, Christine knew that was it. They were going to fight.

_Oh, why did Raoul have to come here?_

In the next few moments, they were both hitting each other, with Christine screaming at them to stop. Her yells seemed to fall on deaf ears though. She knew Erik was trying not to kill Raoul, but as Erik took a second blow to the face, she knew that he would not last much longer.

Thinking quickly, she ran over to Raoul and grabbed his arm and pulled back, tears streaming down her face. "Raoul, stop!" Without thinking, or perhaps by reaction, Raoul shook Christine violently off, making her stumble backwards and eventually lose her balance. Christine toppled over to the ground and for a moment, everything was silent. Raoul and Erik both stared down at her, as if comprehending what had happened. Then, without warning Erik sped forward and wrapped his hands around Raoul's neck, beginning to squeeze the life out of him. Christine jumped hurriedly to her feet as she went to stand beside Erik.

"Erik! Please! Let's just go! Don't kill him! You're better than this! Please!" She sobbed grabbing his arm and pulling.

After a few moments of uncontrolled anger, Erik looked at her as if noticing Christine for the first time. He must have seen the desperate look in her eyes, for he looked wearily at the Victome who was beginning to change colors to a sickly blue. After a moment, he let Raoul go and he slunk to the ground.

"If it weren't for Christine, you would be dead right now. Take my warning and know that your next encounter with me will not be as fortunate."

Then before Christine could do anything, Erik grabbed her hand and led her through the Giry house. He did not look back at her. It seemed almost like he was so set on getting her out of there, he did pause for anything.

"I apologize for the half-strangled Victome on your lawn." Erik said bitterly, but with an edge of amusement in his voice.

"Mon Dieu," Madame Giry cursed under her breath. "Erik, what did you do?"

When Erik made no reply, Christine spoke instead. "Thank you Madame for your hospitality! I will visit soon!"

Her voice faded as Erik continued to drag her from the house. As soon as they were outside, Erik led her Christine to a waiting César, who whinnied happily at the sight of Christine. She took a moment to pet his snout before she was lifted to the horse's back, with Erik swinging on behind her. She had barley situated herself before Erik had the stallion take off at a gallop. Christine figured he wanted to get her as far away from Raoul as possible. She just wished he would take a moment to talk to her.

After a few minutes, Christine decided to try and sleep. She had not had a good night's sleep for several weeks, but now she felt she could. Erik had slowed the horse, so it would be easier. She sighed with content as she leaned against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder as she let the rhythmic sound of Erik's heartbeat and César's hoof beats lull her to sleep.

-----X

Christine let her eyelids flutter open and she took in the scene around her. She was back in her room in Erik's home.

_Erik_.

She sat up a little bit and let her eyes search the room. Seeing nothing, she felt very disappointed. She was too tired to search for him, but she began disentangling her legs from the sheets anyways. But as she did so, a shadow in the corner of the room moved towards her. It was Erik. Sensing she was going to look for him, he came up beside her and stroked her curls, before letting his hand trace timidly over her cheek.

"Christine…I'm right here. Don't worry, I won't leave you." He also seemed to know she wanted him to be with her tonight.

She reached her hand up to touch his unmasked cheek. "Erik…" She mumbled as he placed his hand on top of hers.

"Go ahead and go back to sleep, Christine. I'll be here when you wake up."

Knowing he was telling the truth, Christine let the heaviness of her eyelids overpower her. Knowing Erik would be there made falling asleep that much easier.

**Genny's Note: Done! Have you ever noticed kitties like to lay on laptops? Sophie, my 3 month old kitten, thought it would be fun to try and help me write this chapter. Haha, well I hope you enjoyed this! I will be back July 9****th****. Yay for vacation! Please leave me lovely reviews to come back to! **


	9. Avenge

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Nine: Avenge  
By Genevieve Lee

**Genny's Note: I am not going to pretend this chapter was easy to write. My goodness, I worked forever to get this plot and it is still a little shaky. But I got it up pretty soon after vacation, which was amazing. **

**Zeeksmom:** Thanks! And yes, I do not see my kitten getting less mischievous when she is older!  
**Rose123579:** Hehe! Don't worry, I'm back! Thank you for reading my story, it makes me smile!!  
**Scorpionorchild: **Yes, Raoul will soon pay for his actions. Erik was not too happy about that.**CatoftheOpera: **Thanks a bunch!! I'm afraid for this chapter though.  
**AnimeKitty47: **Haha! Your review made me laugh so hard! Thanks!  
**Lady Wen: **He is a nuisance. But he has good intentions.  
**Dawn Catcher: **Aw…shucks. Thanks, and I tried to write on vacation but it didn't work too well!

**POV- Raoul**

_Avenge (verb)  
__To take vengeance on behalf of._

Raoul ran a hand through his blonde hair and emitted a tiresome sigh. This was the last thing he needed. All he wanted to do was find Christine and bring her home where she belonged, but it seemed too much to ask of everybody.

"Raoul! Honestly, are you even listening to me?" Philippe's voice rang out, causing Raoul to immediately eject from his thoughts.

"I'm sorry; Philippe, but I have a lot on my mind right now." Raoul responded, running his hands along his strained face.

"I know you are dealing with the loss of your fiancé right now, but we have no time for it! You deserve better anyways. Our name should have never been tainted with that chorus girl anyway."

Raoul opened his mouth to protest, but did not have the energy or the reason to. Christine had made him think that she loved him, while thinking of Erik the entire time. In reality, he always knew that she had loved that monster. But when she had chosen Raoul, he thought that if they got married and had a family, she would eventually forget Erik. Oh, how he was wrong. It was all ironic. Christine seemed to be changing her mind every moment of every day. Why was she at the Giry's home if she was supposed to be with that monster? How was it that the minute he showed up, Erik did as well? Was it a trap, or a mere coincidence? He did not know, and it was these thoughts that had raged his mind, kept him up at night for the past week.

"Raoul!" Philippe barked. "If you want to help me then help me! Do not just stand there, staring out into space like a zombie! We have had a break through!" He threw the envelope he was holding onto the table in front of him. The maid who was bringing them tea dropped the tray in surprise.

"Clumsy woman! Clean that up!" Philippe said impatiently.

"Y-yes Master." She left and returned with a wash cloth and went about her duties while another maid brought them new tea. Everyone seemed to notice Philippe's drastic change in personality.

"A break through? Oh, Philippe, does this honestly matter anymore? It has been over seventeen years!" Raoul said, finally coming into the task at hand.

"How can you honestly say that? Father must be turning in his grave! As well as Mother! Do you understand what vengeance is, dear brother?"

"Yes." Came Raoul's grim reply. "But I have more pressing matters to attend to!"

"Forget Christine! She was nothing but a whore!" He finally yelled in exasperation.

A protest rose in Raoul's throat, but he stopped himself. She really was a whore. Had he not called her that himself? Pretending to love him, while she ached for another's touch…

"No wonder you do not care. You were nothing but a boy when it happened…" Philippe said bitterly.

"I cared about Father just as much as you did!" Raoul retaliated.

"Then stop whining and pay attention!" He grabbed the envelope he had thrown down only moments before. "Finally, after years…we will finally know the name of the man who killed our father."

Silence fell over the room as Philippe ripped open the envelope and stared at its contents for a few strangled minutes. The room seemed to be holding its breath with the brothers as Raoul looked eagerly at his brother.

After what seemed like ages, Philippe looked up with a look of hatred on his face. A look that Raoul only saw when the murder of their father was discussed.

"Well Mousieur Destler…you will greatly regret your decision soon enough…" He whispered more to himself than Raoul. The look in his brother's eyes frightened Raoul, but he stayed quiet. It was nothing but a name after all. So a man named Destler killed his father? Who knew if this man was still alive, or still in France. The situation had been over gambling after all.

"Philippe…I know you are quite excited over this discovery-" He shot Raoul a look that made his courage almost falter. Almost. "But we all know Father used a fake name while gambling, mostly to keep our family out of the matters, how do we not know this man did the same as well?"

"We have had the most experienced investigators researching this for years! Do you think they would have overlooked such a simple fact as that?" He replied angrily.

The room remained quiet for a moment, almost as if their conflicting opinions were battling over one another in silence.

"With this new information…what will we do now?" Raoul asked, knowing his brother was waiting for this for a long time. Philippe was right about something though. He was not as devastated when his father had passed. He was a mere boy at the time, and had not realized what the meaning of the word death was. He got to know it better though when his mother had followed him into the grave not two years after. He knew his mother had died of a broken heart, for his parents were very much in love. They had told the press that both parents had died of influenza though. It would be a scandal if everyone had found out of Franklin de Chagny's gambling problem. Snapping back into the present he awaited his brother's response.

"We will find this man, send him a letter. Either he will turn himself in, or we will hire someone to kill him." Philippe said decisively.

Kill him?

The words echoed in Raoul's mind. He could not murder someone. If he did, he would be no better than that monster that held his fiancé captive. When he pointed this out to his brother though, he had a way to rationalize it. Philippe could always rationalize his actions.

"We will not be murderers, for this man will not die at our hands. His blood will not stain our conscience." Philippe said as he got a piece of parchment out to compose a letter. "Our father's blood is on his hands though. We cannot let him get away with that now, can we?"

Raoul remained silent.

"Can we?" Philippe repeated, almost with a look of a crazed madman on his face.

"No." Raoul replied with a sigh, not wanting to contradict his brother. He may need his help soon to help get Christine back.

"Good. Now, make yourself useful and fetch me some ink."

Raoul did what he was told and once they had both sat down at a table, they began the letter.

"Now…where to begin?" Philippe asked. Without waiting for a response, he began writing, reading what he wrote aloud as he went.

"Dear Mousieur Destler,

We regret to inform you that…."

**Genny's Note: Dun, dun, dunnn!!! ****Anyways, I know. No Erik and Christine in this chapter. But we needed to get this moving along, or else this story would have ended within two or three chapters. Lots of fluff coming your way though! Enjoy and review!**


	10. Warmth

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Ten: Warmth  
By Genevieve Lee

**Zeeksmom**: I swear I shall kill my spell check and my dyslexia! Hehe, thanks for pointing that out.

**AnimeKitty47**: The plot has to thicken! (: What fun would it be without it?

**Eyeplayclarinet**: Do not fret over this chapter but I cannot make any promises for the future.

**Ms. Polly Pocket**: I cannot believe you made an account just to review my story! Haha, I love you! And come back to California! It is dreadfully boring here without you! I think Jonathon is about to kill Mr. Puss 'n Boots. You better hurry!

**Scorpionorchild**: Yay! Thanks (: I'm glad it doesn't look like I've lost too many readers.

**POV- Erik**

_Warmth (noun)  
The quality of being close and attached._

It was a strange feeling; one Erik never thought he would have the chance to have. It seemed that the moment he had met Christine, he was working for one goal and one goal only. And that was to win her affections. It was all he ever did, and besides his music, it was his obsession. He was always thinking of ways to please her or impress her; things that would simply get him into her good terms. He had never thought of a time when Christine would return his affections and simply love him. It had always seemed a far off dream; never to be in his reach.

Yet, here they were.

She loved him. She loved him despite his face and she had proved it to him. The night she could have gone with Raoul after he had sent her away, she did not. She was waiting for _him_. Not Raoul. It was a splendid feeling, really. One he could never completely get used to, though. Now that Erik had her willing, he felt almost like he would not have anything to do. It frightened him that he may not turn out to be everything Christine thought he might be. What if he could not make her happy? What if he let her down like the de Chagny boy did? He would not be able to live with himself if she left him again. He knew deep down it would not happen though. He wouldn't let it happen. He had taken it upon herself to make Christine happy. It was his responsibility, and he would not fail. He promised himself; then and there he would not disappoint her.

Yet the doubts still clung to his mind.

He let out a long sigh as he stroked the petals of the rose he was holding. After he efficiently had removed every thorn, he tied a delicate black ribbon around its stem. The ebony contrasted beautifully with the blood red color of the rose. After making sure it was to his liking he quietly returned to Christine's bedchamber. She was still asleep, as she had been for many hours. He watched her slumber for several minutes. A stray curl had found its way in front of her mouth and every time she breathed in, the ringlet drifted back, only to be blown back by her exhale. He sighed at the sight of how content she looked, and he eventually moved the curl and tucked it behind her ear, which brought a smile to her rosy lips.

When Erik felt like he could no longer stand it, he set the rose down next to her and left her in peace. Shutting the door quietly, he made his way to his library where a fire burned in the fireplace. His mind was blazing with thoughts and he could not seem to calm down. He was restless, and all he wanted was to talk with Christine and hold her in his arms. But he did not want to wake her. He had considered for a moment to crawl into bed with her, just to hold her for a few moments. But the thought was quickly cast aside. What would she think if she woke up in a monster's arms? Plus, it was not decent in the slightest. He took in a shuddering breath and willed his unshed tears away. Why had he cried so much as of late? He knew all the tears were for Christine, but he could not think he would be crying now; when she was here with him of her own free will. Staring blankly at the divan in the corner, Erik spoke softly.

"Christine…what will become of us?" He asked in a sad voice. He opened his hand and there laid the gold band he had bought for her before the Victome had come into the picture. He had wanted to give it to her, but then he found out about her and the boy's engagement. He shuddered as he studied the ring quietly.

"Erik?"

Hearing Christine's bell like voice, he quickly pocketed the ring before she could see. He then turned to her to see what she was doing up. He only hoped she had not heard what he just said. To Erik's surprise, she gave a sweet smile and came forward.

"Oh, Erik, everything is going to be fine." She then did something that surprised him in the greatest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. Erik stood still for a moment before slowly letting his arms come around her waist to return the embrace. Ashamed, he realized this was one of his first real hugs in his life. He rested his chin atop her curls and rubbed her back slightly.

Finally, not being able to stand it he drew back and held her at arm's length his eyes pleading as he said, "Say it again Christine." She gave him a puzzled look and he grabbed her arms more urgently. "Please Christine. I…I need to hear it again." Finally a look of realization crossed her face and she took a careful step forward.

"I love you, Erik."

The next thing he knew, her lips covered his and for once since this whole ordeal began, he did not have a doubt in his mind.

-----X

"So you have played before?" Erik asked her sweetly as he began setting up the chess set.

Christine nodded eagerly. "Oh, a few times with Mama Valerius, but not many times as of late." She admitted, although she seemed to have a twinkle in her eye. Erik shrugged it off though as they began their game.

"So the opera house has begun to be rebuilt." He said carefully, waiting for Christine's reaction as he took his second move.

"That's splendid!" She replied with all honesty, as she moved one of her pieces. "Check."

"Yes, well I thought once it is rebuilt, you could perhaps be the diva again." He replied, hoping her answer was yes. But if it brought back too many memories, he would understand. Regardless though, she would continue to sing, if only for him.

"Of course! I should love to be apart of the opera again!" She contemplated Erik's last move. "Check."

So on it went, Erik babbling on about her lessons and future as the diva again, and Christine gave very brief answers as if she was thinking of something else.

"Christine, are you even listening to me!" Erik demanded after a short while.

"Of course I am listening Erik!" She reassured before looking down at the board and making her final move. "Check mate!"

Erik stared at her dumbfounded. "What?"

Christine gave a small smile before averting her eyes. "I said check mate."

Erik glanced down at the chess set with disbelief in his eyes. He had never loss a game of chess before! He had played many people during his travels and had enjoyed the game with Nadir quite a few times. Never once had someone beat him. But studying the board, it seemed that Christine had broken the streak. "'A few times'?" He asked, raising his one visible eyebrow as he looked back up at Christine.

"Perhaps more than a few times. I may have stretched that a little." She said blushing, as she looked down, quite embarrassed at her little white lie.

Erik merely smiled and gave a hearty laugh, which caused Christine to look up in shock. Immediately feeling self-conscious, Erik abruptly went silent.

"I am sorry Christine. That wasn't kind." He said, feeling like a fool.

"No Erik! It isn't that, it's just…" She trailed off and for the first time Erik noticed her eyes were glowing with happiness.

"Well, what is it then?" Erik asked softly, now very curious.

"That was the first time I have ever heard you give a sincere laugh." She answered truly, looking quite chum about it. Crimson splashed her pale cheeks and she looked down.

"Does my laugh make you…happy?" He ventured cautiously.

Christine's head shot up and with a smile she nodded. "Oh yes. Very much! I like to see you happy."

"Then I shall laugh more often if it makes you happy." Erik said decisively.

"Yes, I believe I would rather like that."

**Genny's Note: I made this chapter kind of short, just because this was a kind of awkward time for Christine and Erik. Next chapter they will explore their feelings a tad more and finally be content. Think of it as the calm before the storm. Well, please review!**


	11. Engagement

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Eleven: Engagement  
By Genevieve Lee

**Scorpionorchild: **It's hard to enjoy all the happiness when you know Philippe and Raoul are about…  
**Gaara6: **Hehe, good thing it's summer! I'm always writing!  
**AnimeKitty47: **I thought it would be funny, and Erik will be attempting to beat Christine and redeem himself in future chapters. ;)  
**Eyeplayclarinet: **If you are looking for a slight argument between them, then read on!  
**Rose1234579: **Thanks a bunch. It makes me happy that you review every chapter!  
**Lady Wen: **Thanks again (: I am trying to be more careful.  
**La-Petit-Aviateur: **Wow, that is the nicest review I have ever gotten! Thank you so much!! (:

**Disclaimer: Erik's flashback in this chapter is from Susan Kay's novel and I take no credit for it in any way.**

**POV- Erik**

_Engagement (noun)  
A mutual promise to marry._

In front of them sat steaming hot plates of food and neither one of them could wait to sit down and eat. After finding out how little Erik ate, Christine demanded that he ate three meals a day with her. After a small heated discussion, Christine had won and Erik was beginning to fill out from the unusual amounts of food he was eating. Both seated themselves and ate in compatible silence for a few minutes.

"Erik…when is your birthday?" Christine asked; an edge of curiosity accompanied her voice.

After a few moments of thinking of how to answer, Erik settled with the truth. "I do not know the exact date, my dear."

This caused Christine to nearly drop her fork. "You do not have a birthday?" She asked incredulously.

"Well of course I have a birthday, it is just I do not know when." After silence came from Christine, Erik added, "The date of my birth was never really a cause to celebrate."

"Oh, how awful!" She replied in a sincere tone. Then after a few moments, she perked up considerably. "I have a splendid idea!" Christine said, looking rather excited. "What is your favorite number?"

Erik gave her an even look. "I do not have-"

"Please, just pick one!" Christine asked in a pleading tone.

"Fourteen? Will fourteen do?" He asked, wanting to make Christine happy.

"Yes, of course! Now your favorite month!"

"Christine, this is-"

"Oh come now Erik. It is just for fun."

He thought for a moment. What was his favorite month? He hated the summer season, for it was always so hot in the catacombs of the opera. He thought December for a moment, but remembered that was the month Christmas was in. Christmas always reminded him he had no on to celebrate it with. Finally, he thought of January. It seemed good enough, for it was always cool which kept the catacombs at a decent temperature. And the freezing cold outside kept people off the streets, so he could enjoy a pleasant walk now and then. "January." He said decisively.

"Alright, well then the fourteenth of January is your new birthday!" Christine beamed. "We shall celebrate it every year from now on!"

Erik smiled at Christine's attempt to please him. "It is fine, my love. I do not need a birthday to make me happy. All I need is you."

Christine let a faint smile come to her lips as she blushed modestly and looked down at her plate of food. After a few moments she looked up at him. "Oh, I know Erik. It is just that I cannot imagine anyone growing up without a birthday. I would like to make it up to you."

He did not tell her of the one birthday he did have. It brought back many unpleasant memories.

"_May I have anything I want?" The young Erik asked uncertainly. _

"_Within reason." His mother countered._

"_May I have two of them?" _

"_Why would you need two?" Her voice was strained with effort to keep calm._

"_So that I may have another when the first is used up." Erik replied rationally._

_Erik could see his mother visibly relax and he smiled. Perhaps his request was not too much to ask for. Maybe he would get what he wanted for his birthday._

"_What is it that you want?" She questioned. _

_He remained silent, still afraid of what her answer would be. He twisted a napkin nervously through his fingers, keeping his eyes cast on his feet._

_"Erik, I've had quite enough of this silly game now. If you don't tell me what you want straightaway, you will have nothing at all."_

_Erik jumped at the sternness of her voice, and then he stood very still, as if trying to remember his voice._

_"I want—I want two…" He then set his palms up atop the table._

_"For God sakes!" She snapped. "Two what?"_

_"Kisses." He whispered in a barley audible voice. "One for now and one for later."_

_She stared at him in horror as if he had asked for the most inconceivable gift on the planet._

_"You must never ask that!" She sobbed. "You must never, never ask that again…do you understand me, Erik…never!"_

_He shrank away from his hysterical mother, making his way towards the door. _

_"Why are you crying?" He stuttered._

_"I'm not…crying." She lied._

_"Yes, you are!" Erik shouted at her in rage. "You're crying and you won't give me my present. You made me ask—you _made_ me ask—and then you said no. Well, I don't want a birthday…I don't like birthdays…I hate them!" He had then run from the room._

Lost in his visions of the past, he did not notice Christine approach him. Only when she set her tiny hands upon his shoulders did he acknowledge her presence.

"Oh Erik…" She had a napkin in her hand that she used to gently wipe the tears away from his eyes. He had not even been aware that he had begun to cry. "I am sorry if I upset you. I just wanted you to have a birthday like everybody else."

"Like everybody else…" He repeated the words like a zombie. He then quickly stood up and backed away from her touch. "Don't you understand?" He yelled. "I will never be like everybody else! I will always be different!" He made a wild gesture to his mask. "Don't you see Christine? I can never be what you want me to be. I can never be a normal man, with a normal family. I can never be that…" He stopped to take in a ragged breath. When he spoke again, it came out shaky. "My horrible demonic face keeps me from it!" He turned his back roughly to Christine and leaned his hands upon the countertop in the kitchen. He did not want Christine to see him cry.

It was silent for many moments thereafter. It was as if they were both basking in the after-feelings. Neither knew what to do or say. It was Erik though, who spoke first. "What are we to do, Christine? How can I live like this?" He asked in a trembling voice.

"Live like what, Erik?" He could hear her slowly walking forward.

"To know that I took away any chance of you having a normal life. I have done so many things I am not proud of."

"Do you think I care about that?" Her voice was directly behind him. "Please, Erik. Look at me." He heeded her command. "I do not care what you were then. I only care about who you are now." She lifted her hand and slowly stroked his unmasked cheek before moving to the right side of his face. She gingerly put her fingers beneath the mask and began to life it.

"Christine!" Erik sobbed in a pleading voice.

"It's alright…" She crooned as she lifted the mask to expose his face. It fell upon the tiled floor with a soft clatter and she stared him in the eyes. Her face did not twist in horror upon seeing his marred flesh, nor did she seem to be retreating from the room in disgust. She stroked her hand over the bumpy and uneven part of his flesh, as tears pooled her eyes. "_This_ does not matter to me, Erik." As if to underline her statement, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his sunken cheek. "You have been turned away from all your life, but please know, I will never turn away from you Erik. I want to be there for you forever." She gave a soft grin. "You were always telling me that if you had a wife like every other normal man, you would be happy." She took a deep breath and held his gaze. "I am offering you that now Erik. Don't you see?" A tear slipped down her cheek and Erik timidly raised a hand to brush it away. As his fingers came into contact with her face she leaned into his touch. "I love you, Erik. And I do not care what anyone thinks."

Erik had tears slipping down both his visible cheeks at her words. She was offering to be his wife. He used his other hand to reach into his pocket before slowly taking out the gold band he kept with him at all times. Erik then slowly got down on one knee and held the ring in front of him. "Christine, if this is true, then will you…" He took a deep breath, as if trying to pick the right words. "…be my wife?" He stood there, awaiting her decision. He half expected her to say no and fling the ring in his face then leave.

Instead though, she slowly nodded, unable to find her voice for she was now sobbing. She extended her left hand and Erik slowly placed the gold ring upon her smallest finger. Christine then took his hands and pulled him to his feet. Without hesitation, Erik crushed his body against her own and Christine leaned forward, and their mouths met.

The kiss was at first demure, and Erik knew his lips were trembling. But as Christine deepened the kiss, Erik felt all thoughts of fears drop away. He could taste the salt of their tears, and he knew she could too. Deeper and deeper they swam in each other's embrace and when the kiss finally ended, they held each other for a long time. Almost afraid to let one another go. Erik pressed his cheek atop her head and breathed a sigh of happiness. He pulled back and kissed her small forehead, and looked down at his bride-to-be.

"I love you, Christine."

She smiled, and at once he knew it was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. She slowly lifted her hand and brushed a few stray strands of his hair away from his face. Then standing on tiptoe, she kissed him again and when they finally pulled back she looked deep into his eyes before saying, "I love you too, Erik."

**Genny's Note: So I was trying to update this story every other night, and then do "Dreams of a Wounded Heart" the other nights. (That's my new EoW so check it out (: ) But I just discovered my favorite cousin (who is also one of my best friends) is coming out tomorrow night and will be staying until the following Saturday. I cannot promise as frequent updates (She does not understand my POTO obsession. hehe) But I will still try to update promptly. Please review and thanks for sticking with me this far!**


	12. Turmoil

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Twelve: Turmoil  
By Genevieve Lee

**La-Petit-Aviateur: **Woah! That is creepy. Hehe. I just picked a random number and picked a month I thought Erik would like. But thanks for the encouragement!

**AnimeKitty47**: Oh, we had an amazing time. Thanks very much!

**Eyeplayclarinet**: Thanks (: I like Raoul and everything, I just think Erik is a better match for her.

**Lady Wen**: Yes, it can become quite frustrating! I only have one person I actually know who reads my stories.

**Scorpionorchild**: I am looking forward to writing the wedding! It won't be for a while though.

**Rose1234579**: Writing fluff is actually one of the hardest things to write! But I enjoyed it very much (:

**POV- Nadir**

_Turmoil (noun)  
A state of extreme confusion or agitation; commotion or tumult._

After making himself a strong drink, Nadir sat down comfortably in his armchair to calm down for the evening. He had had a long day and he was ready to relax. But first, he had to attend to the duties that he promised himself all those years ago in Persia. Nadir glanced wearily at the paper as he skimmed absent-mindedly through the many articles. It was one of his various ways to keep an eye on Erik. He saw no articles that seemed to point at Erik, and he folded it before setting it aside. He knew Erik was probably too obliviously happy with Christine to think of doing any mishaps. Feeling assured of his friend's behavior, he set aside the paper to finally relax.

To his surprise, someone began urgently knocking on his door. As he walked over to answer, he wondered who it could be. It could be Erik, though he doubted it. He knew no other person who would come to his home, for he did not have many close acquaintances in Paris. To end the mystery, he took faster and longer strides to reach the door quicker. His hand gripped the doorknob and before he could even swing it open, the person plowed through and welcomed herself into his home.

He studied the woman before him. She was middle-aged with dark brown hair with flecks of silver in it. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun on top of her head, pulling her taut skin even tighter across her face. She was waving an envelope urgently in her hand and when she finally turned around, he recognized her as the ballet mistress from the opera house.

"Madame, what, pray tell, is the matter?" He asked, shutting the door.

"I am sorry for being to rude mousier, but this is urgent."

"What is so urgent?" The Persian asked in an annoyed tone. What was so urgent that she had to disturb his peaceful evening? He ran a hand through his dark hair that was slowly beginning to thin out. He watched as she hung her coat on the coat rack just as Darius came to see what the matter was. Nadir told his servant to bring some tea into the parlor, which is where he led Madame Giry. Once they were both comfortably seated on chairs opposite of one another and had their tea served did she finally begin explaining herself.

"Once again monsieur, I apologize for inviting myself without any calling."

He raised his eyebrows in amusement, for she had not even invited herself. She had merely barged in. When she paused to take a sip of her tea, he made an impatient gesture to continue.

"Well the Viscount and Count de Changy have been turning Paris upside down to try and deliver this letter." She held the envelope in front of her.

Nadir gave a look of confusion, not seeing what any of this had to do with him.

"This letter," She set it down on the table that sat in between them, "is addressed to a certain Monsieur Destler."

A sudden look of realization crossed Nadir's features as he took the letter from the table. He turned it over in his hand very carefully, as if he was holding a newborn babe rather than a piece of parchment. He glanced back up at the ballet mistress. "What does he want?"

"I am not too sure." She said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "I know he would be bitter over losing Christine to Erik, and would try and get her back."

"Erik would never allow it." Nadir said, stating the obvious.

"No, of course he would not." She agreed. "But what worried me was he was looking for Monsieur Destler, but I do not think he knows that it is Erik he is looking for. He has not said anything about looking for his missing fiancée, or anything to do with the Opera Ghost."

"Then why is he looking for him?"

"I do not know. I told the de Chagnys that I could deliver the letter. But I have not read it. I was not sure what to do. I fear if I simply deliver it we will never find out what is going on."

"Yes, Erik does seem to keep to himself."

"But should we invade his privacy?"

They both stared quietly at the letter in front of them for several moments. Neither knew what to do. Both wanted to respect Erik's privacy, but the curiosity of what was going on was nearly suffocating.

"I want to protect Erik and Christine." Nadir decided. "And if that means to read this letter to find what is going on, I think it will be for the best."

Madame Giry nodded slowly. "Yes, yes I think that might be wise." She paused as she gestured to him. "Would you like to read it?"

He nodded as he slowly undid the seal to the envelope and removed a piece of paper. He unfolded it and glanced at Madame Giry before beginning. The anticipation in the room was evident in the air between them, and both were anxious to see what the letter contained.

_Dear Monsieur Destler,_

_I regret to inform you that we know what you did all those years ago. Our father, Franklin de Chagny, did not deserve what you did to him. His murder is on your hands and now you will pay. Be prepared for a disaster when we find out where you are. Do not run, for we have everyone in Paris looking for you. Enjoy your last few days of peace._

It was not signed. The two companions sat in silence for several minutes before someone spoke.

"So, Erik murdered the de Chagny's father?" Nadir asked.

"I suppose so. I know their father died many years ago, but the press said it was from influenza…" Madame Giry said more to herself than to Nadir.

"This is not good…" Nadir said, looking up at Madame Giry. "What are we to do?"

"I suppose we should deliver it and see what Erik thinks about it." She replied. "But I left Meg alone…so would you mind terribly to take it to him?" She asked.

"Yes, I believe it would be best anyways."

She stood and collected her cloak. "Please let me know how it goes and what Erik plans to do." As she tied her cloaks ribbon at the base of her neck, she shook her head quietly. "I thought Erik would finally have a life of a normal man, but it seems his past keeps coming back to haunt him."

"Yes, he has made many mistakes in the past…" He replied as he saw her to the door. "But we need to be sure they do get their happy ending; both of them."

Madame Giry nodded as she walked out the door. "Thank you again Monsieur Khan. Please inform me what happens tomorrow by letter." And with that she disappeared into the darkness of the night.

-----X

Nadir made his way through the darkness of the catacombs, wandering blindly through the inky black air. He was not quite sure if he was heading in the right direction, but it did not matter terribly. He knew Erik was probably already aware of his presence and would appear soon to lead him the right way to his home. As if on cue, a dark shadow appeared in front of Nadir. He had been sure to keep his hand at the level of his eyes, which was a very smart thing to do. He easily caught the lasso that was being thrown around his neck.

"Erik, it is I." He said as he threw the lasso over his head and watched it fall limply to Erik's side.

"Nadir?" He asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

He held the letter in front of him towards Erik who snatched the parchment from his rough hand.

"What is this?" He asked, obviously wondering who would send him a letter. He began to pen the envelope that Nadir has resealed.

"It is a letter from Philippe and Raoul de Chagny." He stated. He looked up at Erik whose eyes dangerously flashed with obvious anger.

"What does he want? Christine and I are--"

"Erik, it has nothing to do with Christine." He said in a shaky voice.

Erik then did not listen anymore to his friend, but simply read the letter in front of him. Nadir watched his friend's stance change dramatically. By the time he was done reading the letter, his hands were shaking and for one of the first times in his life, Nadir thought he saw fear in Erik's cat like eyes.

"Is it true?" Nadir asked, hoping his friend would laugh and tell him it was all a false scandal.

Erik was quiet for several moments before looking up at Nadir.

"Yes, it is true." He folded the letter and put it into his cloak. "It was years ago…I was only nineteen."

"Why did you kill him?"

"I was trying to make money, and when I won, he didn't pay up…" He said, trailing off as if trying to remember.

"The de Chagnys are turning Paris upside down looking for you." He paused, letting the new information sink in. "They do not know you and Monsieur Destler are one in the same." He gave a light sigh. "What are you going to do?"

"I do not know…" He replied absent mindedly, looking into the distance thoughtfully. "But I must go. I left Christine…she will be wondering where I am."

"Erik, we must discuss what will be done!" Nadir yelled in frustration. He could not let Erik pretend that this was not happening.

"I will come to your flat tomorrow." Erik replied.

Nadir nodded and they agreed on a time. When the plans were made, Erik disappeared into the darkness without another word, leaving Nadir to navigate through the dark tunnels alone.

**Genny's Note: Well my cousin left this morning after an amazing visit. Sorry I did not update while she was here, but I will not be seeing her until Christmas. But I wrote this chapter pretty fast! I will be updating "Dreams" tomorrow night. But please review! I want to try and get ten reviews on this chapter before I update next. So please help me (: Also, I heard a rumor that there is to be an ALW POTO 2. Does anyone know anything about this? If so, please tell.  
**


	13. Disillusion

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Thirteen: Disillusion  
By Genevieve Lee

**LonesomeGurlAngelOfDeath**: Of course there is a problem ahead. Hehe. There always has to be a twist.  
**Mirror to my Soul:** Yes, I do admit that is my favorite line in the whole story.  
**TwinDragon25**: Don't worry, I usually update every other night.  
**AnimeKitty47**: Hehe, as this story is getting harder to write, I find myself favoring nights I write for "Dreams."  
**Avatar Wolf**: Ugh. I think they should leave it as it is.  
**Eyeplayclarinet**: Yes, Nadir is mistreated sometimes. But I love his character.  
**La-Petit-Aviateur**: Hehe, don't worry. I would never not update because I didn't get the requested reviews! And I guiltily almost made this story one of those. But I spent many days and finally came up with this plot.  
**Le Lutin**: Oh yay! A new reviewer! And thanks, I'm trying (: And your review popped up just as I was beginning to reply to my reviews. I just thought that was funny.

**POV- Erik**

_Disillusion (verb)  
To destroy the false but pleasant beliefs (held by a person)_

"But, why are we going to Monsieur Khan's home so early?" Christine asked curiously as Erik helped her into her coat. As her hands appeared through the coat sleeves, he caught the glimmer of her gold engagement ring. Despite the current situation, a small smile crossed his lips. He still could not believe that he was actually engaged to Christine.

"Because, my dear, I have not seen him in quite some time. I believe he would rather like to hear of our engagement." He smiled again. "Wouldn't you like that?"

"Well sure…" Christine mechanically responded. "But do you think since we are out, we could visit Meg?" Erik did not miss the hopeful glint in her eyes.

"I believe Madame Giry will be there as well, and I do not see why she would not bring Meg."

"Oh good! It has been too terribly long since I have seen her!"

Erik smiled in amusement. "It has only been a few days, my love." He teased gently.

After playful bantering back and forth for a few minutes, the couple made their way upstairs and after hailing a carriage, they were on their way to Nadir's home.

----X

Christine laced her hand in Erik's and gave it a tight encouraging squeeze. He looked down and gave a light smile before turning to face the three people in the room.

"We are engaged." He stated, not being able to keep the pride from his voice.

Immediately, all three people rose to their feet and walked over.

"Congratulations!" Nadir said, giving Erik a friendly pat on his back.

"You two will be very happy together." Madame Giry commented with a smile.

"Oh, Christine! That is simply wonderful! Please tell me I can help pick out your wedding dress!" Meg gushed, grabbing her friend's free hand.

Both Erik and Christine took the congratulations before all five took seats in the parlor to enjoy a cub of tea.

There was a noted awkwardness in the room, for three knew the real reason they were here. While Meg and Christine had slipped into a conversation concerning only them, Erik shot Madame Giry an expression only to be stated as, "How do we get them to leave?"

As if on cue, Madame Giry cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the room.

"Why don't you two girls use this day to go shopping?" Madame Giry said with a soft smile.

"Without an escort?" Meg asked horrified as Christine gave Erik a questioning expression.

"I'm sure you will be fine for an afternoon. As long as you stick to crowded areas." She gave her daughter a look that told her to not disobey.

"We promise!" Meg said, obviously excited to have some freedom. She went over and grabbed Christine's hand, pulling her up from the couch.

Erik cleared his throat uncomfortably as Christine's questioning gaze lingered on him. He stuck his hand in his pocket, issuing out a handful of francs. He stood and handed them to his fiancée.

"Will this be enough?" He asked.

"Yes…" Christine trailed off, still giving him that heated gaze. She obviously knew this was a way to get rid of her. The look never faltered as she made her way to the door and left with Meg. As soon as the door closed, Madame Giry looked pointedly at Erik.

"You will have to tell her eventually, you know. Christine is a smart woman."

Erik shook his head. "I do not want her to know anymore ugly details of my past life." He stated. He had thought long and hard about this, and although a part of him thought Christine deserved to know, the other part willed him to remain silent. "I am just hoping I can figure this all out and put it behind me. I want to start my new life with Christine…" He paused, searching for the right word. " – Fresh."

Both his friends nodded their understanding. That is when it hit him. He had friends. And a beautiful fiancée. He had everything he had ever asked for. He would soon live in a normal home, with a normal wife, and he would be a normal man. Or, at least as normal as he could be. Suddenly, he was more determined than ever to get this, hopefully, last thing behind him.

"So would you like to tell us exactly what happened?" Nadir prodded gently.

Erik leaned forward in his chair for a moment, letting his masked face fall into his hands. Finally, he sat upright again and with a sigh began his story. "I was nineteen. I had no money, so I thought gambling was a good way to get it. Long story short, I won and he wouldn't pay up. I needed the money, so I took it forcefully. I didn't mean to kill him…" He trailed off. "I did not realize he was a de Chagny until after. I never thought they would search for me."

"And when you met Raoul, did you hate him because of it?"

Erik's eyes flashed dangerously at the sound of his name. "No, not right away. He was the patron, and I saw he was doing no harm. But when he began going after Christine…" He trailed off. They knew the rest of the story.

"Well, what should he do?" Madame Giry asked, glancing at Nadir. After no one answered her, she said, "Perhaps he should write back?"

"How would we get it to him?" Nadir asked.

Erik nodded. "It may not be best for you to deliver it," He said looking at Madame Giry. "You should not be in danger because of my stupid mistakes."

Both nodded in agreement and the room fell silent again. Suddenly, Erik's head shot up.

"We could just flee. I could marry Christine, and we could just move. It may be best anyways."

"Yes…that may work." Nadir said, nodding his head eagerly.

"Perhaps…but it will be hard getting you out of Paris with the gendarmes everywhere."

Erik smiled at this. "Please Madame, you forget you are speaking with the infamous Opera Ghost."

This comment was rewarded with a few chuckles from Madame Giry and Nadir. The remainder of the afternoon was used to discuss possible places for Erik and Christine to settle down. Erik knew Christine would want to be married here so at least Meg and Madame Giry could be present, so wedding plans were discussed as well. Soon, Christine and Meg came through the door with several shopping bags. Erik grinned and stood to greet Christine but stopped short.

"Christine, are you alright?" He asked, observing her pale and shaken form.

"What? Oh…yes. I am fine." She said waving off his concern. But he did not miss the quick glance she stole from Meg, as if they shared a secret. Then suddenly Meg's eyes flew to her mother's with a panicked expression. Something definitely was not right.

Erik's heart filled with fear as he realized something must have happened on their outing. His protective nature was currently filling his body and he felt his heart go icy at the thought of something happening to _his_ Christine. He decided to question her alone. She was more likely to admit to him what was going on if there wasn't an audience. With a new determination, he hurriedly said his farewells to Madame Giry, Meg, and Nadir before quickly ushering her out the door. A look of dread filled her eyes as Christine realized she was not going to get off so easily by trying to fool her fiancée.

**Genny's Note: What could have shaken Christine? Hmm…well please review! And I am starting to get a little discouraged at my other story, so if you could go give it a chance, it would be much appreciated. I will be updating it tomorrow, and this story the day after!**


	14. Assault

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Fourteen: Assault  
By Genevieve Lee

**AngelBabe2000**: Don't worry, I update quite frequently!

**Eyeplayclarinet**: Hmm…very good guess. (:

**AvatarWolf**: Hahaha. Your review made me giggle.

**Scorpionorchild**: Not too patient, I may get lazy. Hehe.

**PhantomLoverG**: OMG! Thanks so much!! (:

**La-Petit-Aviateur**: I got excited about this chapter, so I'm updating both chapters today! Hehe.

**AnimeKitty37**: I _had_ to do it from Christine's POV. What fun would it be if I didn't?

Thank you to all my lovely reviewers who encouraged me to update a day early.

-----

**POV-Christine**

_Assault (verb)  
An unlawful physical attack upon another; an attempt or offer to do violence to another._

The door slammed practically in the two girls' faces and both stared at it, completely dumbfounded.

"Ever feel that they were trying to get rid of us?" Christine asked with a light smile, looking over at Meg.

Meg waved her hand at Christine. "Oh, no matter! You can ask your husband about it later! How much did he give you anyways?" She asked, greed filling her eyes.

Christine blushed. "He is not my husband yet, Meg." She stated as she took out the francs Erik had given her. She opened her two full palms and showed them to her friend.

Meg's eyes glistened. "He did give you quite a lot! I can't wait to spend it!" She giggled as she tugged Christine towards the street.

"We should not spend it all--"

"Nonsense! He gave it to us to spend, so why shouldn't we? Don't be such a ninny!"

"I am _not_ ninny!" Christine stated firmly, now pulling her friend determined to show her how much she could spend.

-----

Christine put her hands in an elegant pair of black gloves, and she opened and closed her hand, trying to see how well they fit. Suddenly, Meg burst from where she was changing.

"What do you think of this gown?" Meg asked, twirling around for Christine's inspection.

Christine looked up and studied her friend. The gown she wore was baby pink in color, and hugged all of her curves. The pink complimented her rosy skin color and blonde hair. It was low cut, but so much it would be immodest.

Christine sucked in a breath. "It's beautiful on you Meg."

Meg smiled and clapped her hands together in excitement. "Oh, may I get it Christine! Please!"

Christine had been very careful about how much they spent, but seeing her friend's excitement made her bend. "I would be the worst friend if I did not."

Meg's face enveloped in a grin and she came forward, tackling her friend in a hug. "Oh, thank you, thank you Christine! I will repay you somehow!" Her friends voice slowly faded as she went to change.

Christine smiled and shook her head as she took of the glove and set it neatly back with the others. After a few minutes, the girls left the store ready to get something to eat. Soon, they were seated at a little café, and after placing their orders, sat back with their tea and talked.

"So, I was thinking…" A dangerous glint came into Meg's eyes.

"Oh no…this cannot be good." Christine teased her friend with a smile.

"That perhaps," She spoke louder now, as if she had not been interrupted, "we should get you something for your wedding night!"

Christine blushed as several people at surrounding table gave them disgusted looks. "Meg!" She said in a commanding voice. "Control your voice!"

Seeing what she had down, Meg looked down bashfully. "I'm sorry."

"It's quite alright." Christine replied. "But I think I would rather have your mother along for something like that." She said with all honesty. Christine, being quite naive, would rather have her surrogate mother along for _that_ kind of shopping trip.

Meg shrugged as she took a sip of her tea. Suddenly, she set it down with haste and leaned into the table. "Christine! Isn't that Raoul and his brother?"

Christine could feel her face drain of color. "Where?"

"Behind you! But don't look, we'll just set some money down and leave."

Christine nodded, already fumbling around in her coin purse. She quickly got out a few francs and tossed them onto the table before rising and making their hasty exit out of the café.

"Christine!"

She stopped dead when she heard Raoul come up behind her.

He came up around her with his boyish grin. "I was hoping I would see you again! I wanted to apologize for what I said--"

"Monsieur, I do not think my fiancée would approve of me speaking with you." She said with all honesty, knowing Erik would not want her anywhere near him. She glanced at Philippe who was standing behind Raoul with an impatient look on his face.

"Fiancée?" Raoul's face fell. "Who are you to be now? No longer Daee…" He let his question trail off.

Christine could not keep the grin from her face. She had wrestled Erik's surname from him the night before. "Madame Destler." She said.

Meg then stepped forward. "If you will excuse us now Monsieur Victome, we must be leaving." She then took Christine's hand and began leading her away. But not before she caught the astonished look of Philippe de Chagny's face.

As they began walking down the street, Meg leaned over. "They are following us."

Christine turned around, and indeed Philippe and Raoul de Chagny had given chase. Though Raoul looked less sure than his brother.

"Quick, over here!" Christine tugged Meg into a dark alleyway. "We will just stay here until they pass, then we shall return to Monsieur Khan's home." She said, wanting nothing than to be with Erik.

"I don't know, Christine…" Meg replied, fear etching onto her face.

"Hush! They are coming closer!" Christine pressed herself and her friend to the wall of the alley.

Their hiding place fooled no one though, because soon both brothers were beside them. Philippe wasted no time in grabbing Christine roughly by the shoulders and pressing her against the wall.

"Christine!" Meg cried, but Raoul coaxed her a few yards away, all the while throwing worried glances at his brother and Christine.

"What did you say your fiancée's surname was?" He demanded.

Christine cried out in pain and fear as she turned her head away, silently willing Raoul to stop his brother.

"Tell me!" His grip tightened on her arms and she became short of breath.

"D-D-Destler." She managed to stutter out. Why did she feel like she was betraying Erik by telling them this?

"Philippe!" Raoul barked. "Let her go! She has no part in this."

Philippe looked at his brother before returning his gaze to the young woman before him. "Tell your fiancée we are coming for him." And with that, he shoved her against the wall before walking from the alley. Raoul followed but not before stopping in front of the frightened Christine and bowing. "My apologies Mademoiselle Daee." He began to leave when he heard his brother call him, but not before he leaned forward and whispered a warning. "Warn you fiancée." And with that he was gone.

Meg ran to Christine's side. "What in heavens name was that all about?" she gripped Christine to help her stand from leaning against the wall.

"I don't know…" She replied absent-mindedly. What _was_ this all about? "Let's just get home."

-----

Both Meg and Christine decided not to say anything, for they did not want to worry anyone. Christine was still dreadfully shaken, and according to Meg, pale. As their hired carriage stopped outside Nadir's home, Christine quickly tried to pinch roses into her cheeks. Meg then took her friend's hands and led her into the house.

Everything seemed normal enough, and Christine hoped it could continue to be that way. Her fiancée stood to greet her and Christine mustered up the most charming smile she could at that moment. But Erik's steps suddenly stopped short.

"Christine, are you alright?" He asked, concern flecking into his golden eyes.

"What? Oh…yes. I am fine." She said shaking her head. But she quickly glanced at Meg, who glanced at Madame Giry. She could see her fear reflected into her friend's eyes, and as Erik looked back and forth between them, Christine knew she was found out. After Erik said his hasty good-byes, he led her from the house.

He seemed to have a collected silence, as if lost in his thoughts. He did not ask her how her day was, what she bought, or about the change she still had in her coin purse. In fact, they did not exchange one word all the way back to his home. She was still obviously shaken, and her body trembled slightly, causing the flight into darkness to be even more difficult than usual. This caused Erik to take her elbows and guide her the whole way. Only when they entered his home, did he question her.

"Christine, what happened?" His voice was firm.

She was not really paying attention to where she was walking, and in her haste to get to her room, tripped on one of the stone steps. She landed on her palms, her face inches from the ground. Erik was next to her in a flash, grabbed her upper arms to help her up. Christine hissed in pain and drew back from him, causing anger to flash in Erik's eyes. He grabbed Christine roughly by the wrist. She gasped and tried to draw back but he held fast. He shushed her sobs that had finally escaped and he gingerly lifted up the sleeve of her gown, exposing huge black and blue bruises in the shape of hands directly below her shoulders. Christine hiccupped as Erik looked down at her. She had never seen him so angry.

Her crying finally turned into huge heart-wrenching sobs and without a second look, Erik took her into his arms and coaxed the story from her.

**Genny's Note: I know what you're thinking. "Is Christine the dumbest broad on the planet?" Why yes, she is. (: Well please review.**


	15. Termination

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Fifteen: Termination  
By Genevieve Lee

**AngelBabe2000**: I wouldn't say Erik's angry, just annoyed. Hehe.  
**Eyeplayclarinet**: I don't think Raoul would ever intentionally hurt Christine.  
**AvatarWolf**: Bahaha. I know. And your review made me laugh (:  
**Scorpionorchild**: No problem (: And there will always be trouble for our poor Erik.  
**Mirror to My Soul**: Although I made her do it, I wanted to slap her around myself!  
**AnimeKitty47**: You are excused, for good reasons! Thank you (:

Thank you to all my reviewers.

-----

**POV-Erik**

_Termination (noun)  
__An end or extremity; close or conclusion._

After her sobs had finally subsided, he gently held her away from him. "Christine, can you tell me what happened?"

Although she still had tears sliding down her porcelain cheeks and hiccups wracked her body from time to time, she finally gave a feeble nod. Erik helped her from the floor she had collapsed upon during the climax of her breakdown and slowly led her to a little couch on which he seated them both upon.

"Well, Meg and I were just shopping." Christine began. "Everything went fine until about mid afternoon when we went to lunch. Raoul and Philippe were there and -"

"The de Chagny's?" Erik asked as worry coursed through his body.

"Yes…"

"Well, what happened?" Erik urged.

"Well, Raoul came up and found out we were engaged, and he asked what I was going to be instead of Christine Daee, so I told him, then we left. But they followed us, so we hid in an alley but the found us and…" She paused. "Philippe cornered me and made me repeat the name then after Raoul yelled at him to stop, they left. But not before Raoul said, 'Warn your fiancée.' Erik! What did they mean? What do they want?" She said as a sob escaped her lips.

"Wait…so they know my surname is Destler?" Erik asked in a rushed tone.

"Yes! That is what I am saying! What does it matter?"

They new he was Destler. They had discovered that the Opera Ghost and Destler were one in the same. Not only that, they had threatened Christine. His Christine! Philippe de Chagny would pay dearly for even thinking about laying a hand on her. But now, now he Christine were in danger! He quickly looked at her before grabbing her by the shoulders in a gentle grip. "Christine…go to your room and pack whatever you need in a small bag. We must leave!" He then stood to collect his things.

"No, Erik! I will do no such thing until you tell me what is going on!" She said, stomping like a child.

Erik growled and turned to face her. "Christine, we are in danger. We are leaving this place in ten minutes whether or not you have packed anything!" He turned away from her. To his relief, he heard her footsteps pad into her bedroom, then her riffling through her things. Erik quickly grabbed a small bag and began putting some things into it. All his money, a dagger, and finally he turned to his organ. He quickly walked over and looked at all his beloved music. Perhaps someday he could return and retrieve it, but there was no time to go through it now. He quickly gathered all the sheets and stuffed them into a box, which he put in a cupboard in the kitchen. No one was likely to look there.

He made sure his Punjab lasso was tucked discretely into his cloak, before he finally collected his last belonging he wished to take. Walking over to his desk, he slowly opened it and there sat the wedding ring he was going to give Christine to replace her engagement ring once they were married. What also sat there was his engagement ring, which he did not dare where for fear of breaking the dream. Without a second thought though, he slipped it onto his finger, grabbed Christine's ring and put it into his bag. "Christine…come we must go." He turned to see her standing in the doorway holding a small bag, and looking utterly confused.

"Erik, please! What is going on?"

"Believe me when I say we do not have much time! I promise I will explain everything when we get to Nadir's home. Please…just trust me." He looked deeply into her eyes and held out his hand, which she quickly took. They then headed out of his underground home, for what may be the last time.

-----

Erik dismounted Caser and helped Christine off before leading her to the entrance. He knocked lightly on the door to have it answered by Nadir moments later.

"Erik, what are you doing here?"

Without waiting to be inviting in, Erik pushed his way through, leading Christine in after him.

"I need you to send for Madame Giry and Meg."

"Why?"

"They are in danger." Erik ignored Christine's gasp. "Just do it!"

As Nadir composed and had Darius leave to deliver the letter, Erik was pacing back and forth, while Christine sat in a chair, crying.

After about an hour of anxious waiting, Darius returned with the Giry girls.

Madame Giry immediately attacked Erik. "What is going on here, what is the meaning of this?"

"That's what I want to know." Christine sniffed.

"They know Madame! The de Chagnys know!" Erik yelled.

"And yet Christine does not? Erik…you must tell her."

Erik looked strained as he looked over at his hysterical fiancée. He was dreading this. Would Christine understand that it was just another mistake of his past? He slowly sat down on the couch before motioning towards here. "Come here, Christine." She quickly obeyed and sat beside him. Erik sighed a little, hoping she would understand. Finally, gathering his strength, he told her everything that had been going on as of late. He also told Madame Giry and Nadir what had happened to Christine on her and Meg's outing. Christine sat in collected silence until Erik was done speaking.

"This is my fault…" Christine said in a despairing tone.

"No…it's not!" Erik said, looking at her with a shocked expression.

"Yes it is!" Christine wailed. "I practically handed you over to them!"

Erik grabbed Christine and forced her to look at him. "It is not your fault. You did not know. This all began when you were just a young girl. You have nothing to do with this. Nothing! Do you understand me?" Erik asked urgently.

Christine nodded feebly.

"Erik, what are you going to do?" Nadir asked, looking down at the young couple with pity,

Erik released Christine. "I do not know, Daroga. But I know what I must do." He stood. "I don't know how, but I must put an end to this."

Christine stood up right after. "Wait…where are you going?"

"I have to stop this…I have to." He looked lovingly at her. "So we can live in peace. I love you Christine."

"No…you can't leave! Erik!" She yelled as he began going towards the door. Erik knew that if he did not leave her side now, he would never be able to.

Erik pulled Nadir aside as Madame Giry tried to comfort Christine. "Keep all three of them here unless you have to leave. Don't let her out of your sight!" He pointed to Christine.

"I...I won't. Erik?"

He turned towards his old friend. "Good luck. And for the sake of the girl, return home safe."

Erik nodded, and to his surprise, Nadir enveloped him in a friendly embrace. It didn't last long though, and when he let go, Erik curtly walked out the door. As he mounted Caser, he tried to get Christine's cried from his head that he could hear until he finally kicked his horse in a gallop and disappeared into the darkness.

-----

**Genny's Note: This was kind of a filler chapter. That is why it's short. Well, there you go. (: Also, I barley had time to write this chapter, let alone edit it. I will be doing that tomorrow. Until then, ignore any grammical and historical errors that may be in there. Thanks!**


	16. Flight

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Sixteen: Flight  
By Genevieve Lee

**Avatarded**: Dun, dun, dun! Honestly, I am not sure yet (:

**Scorpionorchild**: Probably. As long as they do not have weapons.

**Mirror to my Soul**: I really wish I could hug him too!!

**Rose1234579**: Thanks. And sorry I updated so late!

**Eyeplayclarinet**: It was a rather hasty good-bye, wasn't it?

**AngelBabe2000**: I suppose we will see….

Thank you to all of my reviewers.

**POV- Christine**

-----

_Flight (noun)  
__An act or instance of fleeing or running away; hasty departure._

Is it possible to feel this sad? She had never felt a sorrow this agonizing fall over her. And to make matters worse, it was all her fault.

Erik had told her it wasn't, that it had nothing to do with her. But she knew it did. She knew her mistake.

She had told Raoul exactly what he was looking for. Perhaps he was not expecting it at that exact moment, but she just told him what he asked without another thought.

Not only did it endanger him with the situation that was going on, it also revealed something that the police had been looking for. Ever since the great disaster at the Paris Opera House, the gendarmes had been searching for the Opera Ghost. So if Raoul and Philippe were not after him for killing their father, they could have easily told the gendarmes his name and have him arrested as the Opera Ghost. But now, because of her stupidity, he could be arrested for two things.

She also not only feared for Erik, but for her childhood friend and first love. He had not been at his best as of late, but she could not blame him. Although it was him who had attempted to save her life, she had saved his. Twice. She had done it for a reason. She still cared for her friend and wanted to know he was going to live a fulfilling life.

But what if the only way for her and Erik to be together was for them to be dead?

The thought terrorized her at every moment. It felt as if she had to choose Raoul living and her and Erik never being together or Raoul dying. It made no sense to Christine. Although she loved Erik very deeply she didn't know if she could handle knowing Raoul's death was on his hands.

Although she could not imagine a life without Erik. After years of wishing for her Angel of Music to be a real man, she finally had him. She did not see it at first, and had seeked comfort in Raoul's embrace. When she left him that first night, she knew she had made a mistake. Luckily though, she reversed it and for a while things seemed good. Things seemed perfect. They were engaged and Christine had looked forward to their life together.

But now…would it even happen?

What had Erik gone to do? And worse, would he be back for her? Or would he leave her for her own safety?

Christine's safety mattered not to her, for she knew she would always be safest with Erik. Everyone knew that. There was no better place for her to be, and for that she was thankful. But now things had changed.

She had no idea what the future was going to bring and she was scared?

"Oh, Madame! What if I never see him again?" Fresh tears appeared in her eyes as she looked at her surrogate mother.

They had gone into Nadir's guest bedroom to talk after she had sent Meg away to bed in another room. Nadir had promised to stay awake in case Erik came back. But Christine knew she wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

"Oh, child!" Madame said, stroking Christine's head with her right hand. Her left was clasped into Christine's own. "I have no doubt you will see him again. Erik would never forgive himself if he left you."

She gave a little sniffle as she laid her head on her shoulder. "Yes, but what if he…" She couldn't get the word out. But Madame Giry filled in the blanks herself.

"I'm sure he'll be fine! He is after, the old Opera Ghost. I do not think Erik is the type to get caught. I think that should be the least of your worries."

Christine lifted her head and gazed at her. "Well, what should be the most?"

Madame Giry gave a great sigh. "Erik is quite upset about all this and now he knows what Philippe did to you…" She tsked her tongue with disapproval. "I can imagine he is not very happy. And Erik has a very short temper, that when provoked is hard to control…"

Christine knew she was trying to put it in the best way possible. But now her fears were voiced. "You think he might be going over there to kill them?"

Madame Giry gave a long heavy sigh. "I am hoping he has a more rational way to solve it. But that would be his first approach. That is what he is used to, Christine. If someone gives him trouble, he will simply get rid of him. Because of the way the world has treated him, it what he was forced to do. I do not blame him for what he has done. And neither should you." She gave Christine a stern look.

Christine sighed as she fingered the sheets on the bed they were sitting on. "Oh Madame…know that my loyalty will always lie with Erik no matter what happens. Just the thought of him killing Raoul is more than I could bear."

Madame nodded. "I know dear, I know. But sometimes things must be done to be able to live happily ever after. I am hoping just as much as you are that he has decided to solve this in a better way, though we cannot be sure." She took Christine's other hand with her own. "Know that whatever he does, right or wrong, is him trying to make life together happen."

Christine gave a weak nod. "Thank you Madame, I guess I will try and get some sleep now. It has been a trying day."

"Of course dear. I will be right now the hall with Meg if you need us." She gave her a hug before leaving Christine to the peaceful silence.

It did not last long though. Soon the air was filled with Christine's heart-wrenching sobs. And that night she cried herself to sleep.

-----

She awoke when it was still dark with a heavy feeling in her stomach. It took her a moment to remember why.

_Erik has gone to kill Raoul._

"You don't know that…" She countered out loud to herself, hoping that maybe if she thought or said it enough, it would be true. That was she thought was totally irrational and Erik had struck a deal with them or even apologized.

_Everything was going to be alright._

No, it was not. Everything was not alright. While chaos was going on, she was just sitting here when Erik might be doing something that would result in them not seeing each other again!

How could she be so calm?

Christine sat up quickly. She finally knew what she had to do.

"I have to go after him! I have to stop him, and we can run away together!" She whispered to herself in the dark. If she could just sneak out of her after she had written a note to Madame Giry, Meg, and Nadir she could go find Erik then they could run away! It was perfect.

She threw the covers off of herself as she stood in the dark room. Nadir had said he was staying up in case Erik had come back. She had only hoped she could get by him. She smoothed own her gown and slowly made her way outside of her small bedroom. She entered a dark and silent hallway. She knew the room across from her was where Madame Giry and Meg were staying. She inched towards it and opened the door slowly, only to see both of them deep in sleep.

She shut it quietly before making her way down the hall. She was going to see where Nadir was so she could find the best way to escape. She entered the living room, with the excuse of being thirsty ready to use when she saw a sight for sore eyes. Nadir was seated comfortably in his armchair sleeping. He had fallen asleep!

_This was going to be easier than I thought!_ She thought giddily to herself.

She then quickly found a piece of parchment and a pen before scribbling out a short note. She left it on the kitchen counter before slipping out the front door after she had tied her cloak around herself. Luckily, she still had change left from her previous shopping day and knew how she would use it.

She walked to a stable that was about a quarter mile away that rented horses. Of course not at this hour, but she simply left money after selecting her horse.

As she began to ride away on the chestnut mare, she couldn't help of thinking how romantic it was going to be, sneaking off in the dead of the night with Erik. They would be married, and when it was safe, they would write to Madame and Nadir to let them know where they could visit them.

To her, it was a full proof plan.

She rode off to the de Chagny manor, anxious to put her plan into action. It was only when the sun rose the next morning that Madame Giry discovered she was missing.

**Genny's Note: So the reason I have been updating so much lately is because my best friend/practically sister/neighbor left me for three weeks to go visit some of her family. She is coming home tomorrow so I cannot guarantee as frequent updates as I have been giving. Maybe twice a week. Maybe more. I don't know. I need to start my AP Literature summer work, work on Driver's Education, get a job, and still obtain my social life. Plus school is starting soon. But do not worry. I will never abandon this story!**

**On that note, please review. (:**


	17. Bemuse

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Seventeen: Bemuse  
By Genevieve Lee

**Avatarded: **Christine is an idiot, isn't she? Don't worry; she won't be like that for the _whole_ story. Hehe

**Mirror to my Soul: **People who take forever to update annoy me. That is why I try not to be one of them. (:

**AngelBabe2000: **You have one thing right. Things are going to become quite chaotic.

**AnimeKitty47: **Bahaha. Your alleyway theory made me giggle. (:

**Leia: **Thank you for all your lovely reviews! I love having new reviewers!

**Angel: **Hmm…who said Raoul was going to die! Guess you will have to wait and find out. (:

**Eyeplayclarinet**: Yes. Most likely. Haha.

Thank you to all of my reviewers.

**POV- Raoul**

_Bemuse (verb)  
__To cause to be engrossed in thought._

Things were becoming more complicated every hour, every minute, and every second. Philippe was now more determined than ever to capture Destler, whom Raoul now knew was Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, and most importantly, Christine's fiancée.

He still believed Christine belonged with him, and not that masked murderer. He still believed it with all his heart. He loved Christine, and more than anything, he wanted her to be happy. If being happy meant staying with Erik, he could come to accept it. He knew he would rather die himself than hurt her. What worried him was what if more situations came up like this one?

Erik was lucky for him to be in trouble with Raoul, rather than someone who would feel no remorse in killing the fiancée of his enemy. The last thing they were planning on doing was hurting Christine. He had made sure to clear that with Philippe as soon as they had found out the truth. Philippe grudgingly agreed that Christine had nothing to do with it, and should not be punished for it.

Raoul had hopeful wishing that if they could, indeed get Erik arrested, or killed, and then he could have Christine back. She would have no where to go. She had obviously not known what was going on in the alley, and he only hoped that when she found out, she would be furious with her fiancée. It would only make sense, wouldn't it?

Thinking about Christine spending the rest of her life with that monster gave Raoul the chills, and he did not like it. The last thing he was thinking of was getting Erik back for killing his father. That was an event that had been out of his life for many years and he could not understand why Philippe was so determined to repay Erik for what he had done. It had been fifteen long years since that had happen, but what was happening with Christine was what was important now.

She was below his status in the Parisian aristocracy, but that mattered not to him. If he could just get her to come to her senses, then perhaps she would come back to him. He did not care what he would have to endure, because he loved Christine and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

"Raoul!" He heard his name being barked and he looked up to see his brother standing in the doorway of the library. "They were not under the opera house. Do you know any other place they could be?" For the first time, Raoul noticed the two gendarmes standing behind Philippe.

Raoul ran his hand through his blonde hair. "They may be at the Giry home."

Philippe nodded and motioned for the gendarmes to leave, which they did immediately.

"They may have left town." Raoul said.

"No, I have gendarmes over every inch of this town. They aren't going anywhere. We just need to find out where they are hiding." Philippe said as he walked into the room towards his younger brother. "I want you to know that if you know where they are it is you family obligation to tell me. I do not want you to try and protect Christine."

"Philippe, I want them caught as much as you do! The sooner that monster is behind bars or dead, the sooner Christine and I can be together again."

"No! Let me go!"

Raoul and Philippe both turned as they heard a female voice in distress. Soon the gendarmes burst back into the room with a struggling woman in their grasp. As first, Raoul did not know who it was, until she threw her head back and her hair fell from her face. Christine continued fighting against the two large men, but they did not faulter.

"What is going on here?" Philippe demanded.

"Monsieur Comte, we found this woman snooping around the premises as we were leaving."

"Release her!" Raoul ordered, which they did. Christine stumbled forward away from the gendarmes and towards Raoul, who stepped forward and grabbed her gently by the arm, tugging her towards him. "That will be all. Please continue to your duties." Raoul said, being sure not to mention what those duties were.

"What are you doing here?" Philippe barked as he walked towards Christine, who instantly shrunk behind Raoul.

"I can handle this, Philippe." Raoul said, taking a step forward, keeping him from getting anywhere near Christine.

"Fine, but remember what I told you." Philippe replied as he turned to leave. Once the door to the library was closed, Raoul turned to her, a plan forming in his mind.

"Thank God you are alright, Christine! I had no idea where you were!" He embraced her, but she quickly squirmed away.

"Raoul! Do you know where Erik is?" She sounded hysterical.

"Oh, my dear, I did not want to be the one to tell you this…" An emotion flashed through his heart, but Raoul could not place it. Was it guilt? It mattered not though, because he knew it was for the best. "He came here earlier to, well…. Dispose of the problem. But the gendarmes got to him first." He sucked in a breath as he saw Christine's face shatter. "I am sorry, my love, but Erik is gone."

Christine's doe eyes filled with tears and it only took seconds for them to overflow down onto her porcelain cheeks. "Raoul…" Her voice shook, and he did not wait another moment before taking her in his arms. Sobs wracked her whole body and he could feel the tears sliding down his neck from where her face was resting.

He knew Christine was going to be broken about this, but he had to keep telling himself it was for the best. If she thought Erik was dead now, she could begin to get over him and realize it was him who loved her. It would be him who would take care of her for the rest of her life. Then, he could make sure Erik really was killed, and then everything could fall into place.

"I am sorry, Christine. But it had to happen. He was not right for you. He has done too much wrong."

She did not answer, for she was sobbing too hard.

Raoul just let her cry as he comforted her, rubbing her back and saying soothing phrases in her ears.

Finally she pulled away, and with tears in her eyes asked, "Is it alright if I stay here tonight. Tomorrow I will return with to the Girys."

Raoul could not help but smile. Not only was his quick-thought up plan working well, he had also been correct that they were at the Girys. Hopefully the gendarmes would find Erik tonight and dispose of him. Then he could focus on winning Christine's love back.

"Of course, _Mon Cherie_. You may stay here as long as you please."

Christine sniffed and gave a light nod.

Raoul then took her hands and led her to the spare bedroom she had been staying in before she left. As he led her in he saw a flash of guilt go across her eyes. But only for a moment. After he made sure she had everything she needed, he finally left.

As Raoul made his way back into the library, he could not help but sigh with contentment. Soon, everything would be set right and he could live his new life with Christine.

He poured himself a glass of brandy and sat in one of the overstuffed armchairs. He took a sip of the strong drink before laying his back as he finally started to doze. It had been a long few days and he was glad this situation was coming to an end.

Silence was shattered though when he heard the front door being thrown open. A deep angry sound was made from the intruder and Raoul quickly got to his feet as he scurried outside to see what was going on. When he opened the door to the library, Erik stood there looking angrier than he had ever seen him.

**Genny's Note: Do you guys hate me? I am ****sooo**** sorry this chapter is so short!! I have a lot of personal problems going on right now, a lot of drama happening in my circle of friends, so I have not been able to sit my butt down and write. Please forgive me!**

**Also, I outlined the rest of the story and there will be three more chapters, then an epilogue, then this story is coming to a close.**

**For those who did not know, I have put "Dreams" on hold until I finish this story. I have continued writing for it though and currently have four full-length chapters that are written but not yet put up. I will continue this story as soon as "Pursuit" is completed.**

**Also, I am **_**not**_** a Raoul basher! The reason for his actions is he does not understand Erik and Christine's love, so he thinks he is doing what is best because he loves Christine. Kapeesh?**

**On all those notes, review. (:**


	18. Terror

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Eighteen: Terror  
By Genevieve Lee

**POV- Erik**

_Terror (noun)  
Intense, sharp, overmastering fear._

Erik tried in vain to shake Christine's cries from his mind. He had left so suddenly, that if he did not come back, he knew she would be scarred forever. That is why he was sure he was going to come back. All he had to do was settle this feud and all could finally be peaceful.

But how was it supposed to be settled? Was he supposed to kill the boy and his brother and be done with it? If this were a year ago, he would do it without another thought. It was survival of the fittest, and unfortunately for his enemies, he was usually the fittest.

He had no idea what he was going to do, so he decided to take his time getting there. He actually went the opposite way from the de Chagny manor to a place where he knew he could get some reliable weapons. He knew he was going to be facing many gendarmes and it would be best if was armed with something besides his Punjab Lasso. His "magical lasso" had always been a reliable companion to him, and he did not plan on going without it.

He pushed Caser to a gallop, knowing he wanted to complete this before the first light came into the sky.

Within the hour he was secured with a small hand gun and a large dagger. He mounted Caser and decided to make one more stop before going to the de Chagny Manor. Although he knew it was not a good idea, he just had to see Christine. In the back of his mind, he knew it could be the last time he would see her.

If he was not able to sort this, then he did not even deserve to be with Christine. She deserved a better life with a better man.

What he was afraid of most was this was going to be the last night he saw her. He knew the de Chagny Manor was going to be guarded with gendarmes and there was a high chance he was going towards something he was not going to be able to face. He had only been scared a select few times in his life. He was afraid when he ran away from his mother. He was afraid when he was captured by the gypsies. He was afraid when Christine could leave him. And, he was afraid now.

But he could not just run from this and act like it did not happen. If he did that, then he and Christine would always be on the run, always looking over their shoulders. He could not submit Christine to a life of that when she deserves everything in the world.

So with these thoughts in his mind, he began his journey back to Nadir's home.

He was there with no time at all and he slowly tied Caser to a nearby tree, and for the first time, he noticed his hands were shaking.

He made his way into Nadir's home, expertly not making a sound. The house was deathly silent and as he walked in, he saw Nadir sleeping in his arm chair in the living room. Erik smiled despite himself, knowing Nadir was probably trying to watch guard over the house but had ended up falling asleep instead.

He then walked down the hall and went into one of his guest rooms. Upon opening the door, he discovered Meg and Madame Giry. He figured Christine was in the other guest room and shutting the door quietly he went to the room in question. He opened the door and had the shock of his life. The room was empty!

He immediately ran into the room and searched every corner, and still finding it empty, he checked the rest of the house. It was then obvious Christine was not there, but he did find a letter from her to Nadir. He opened it with shaking hands and hastily read it.

_Monsieur Nadir Khan,_

_I thank you very much for your hospitality but I fear I must leave. I cannot let Erik deal with this alone. I am hoping to find him and then we can leave Paris, perhaps France altogether. I am sorry you and the Girys cannot attend our wedding, but once Erik and I are married and safely settled down, we will call upon you. Thank you again for your kindness._

_Christine_

Erik threw the letter down and quickly went through the door, knowing he had to save Christine. She had left in order to save him, and by now she was probably either at or very close to the de Chagny manor.

_Christine is in danger and it is all __your__ fault._

_No…she left on her own. I told her to stay._ He countered.

_Yes, but if it were not for you, she would be in no danger right now._

Suddenly, he realized it was his fault. If something had happened to Christine, he was going to have to live with that for the rest of his life. He loved her so much, and he could not imagine anything happening to her.

Why is it that when I finally find happiness everything is ripped out from under me?

His whole life, he thought he would never live a content life. He thought it was possible, but it would never happen. He knew he would never have a normal life, because of his face. But it was possible to be content. He thought it would never happen, especially after Christine left him.

When she had returned his heart had soared with hope. And it still was.

Everything could be all right if he just solved this and they left.

He pushed Caser to his quickest speed. He was going so fast, he doubted Caser's hooves even touched the ground. It was not long before he saw the de Chagny manor in the distance, looming over the darkness, casting a dark shadow over the land before it. He knew he would have to evaluate the outside of the manor before attempting to go in. With this thought, he dismounted Caser and tied him to a nearby tree, making sure he was hidden from the prying eyes of the road.

After leaving his horse, he approached the home from the shadows, scrutinizing every area he could see. To his surprise, there were not as many guards as he thought. Two were placed at the front gate, and another two at the front door. Apparently they were not afraid of him coming here. He glanced around, hoping to see a sign of Christine, but he did not. He figured she must be inside by now, looking for him.

Erik slowly crept towards the back of the home, easily making it to the back door without being seen by the guards. It took very little effort really, but now he had to find an efficient way to get in the manor.

He figured it was possible that there were more guards inside, so he peeked through the windows just to be sure. To his surprise, the house seemed fairly empty.

He saw maids, cooks, and butlers wandering around, but besides that, no one threatening seemed to be present. He watched for a few minutes, waiting for a good moment to make his silent entrance.

As he sat in the darkness looking through one of the windows, he saw Raoul de Chagny making his way down the stairs with a grin on his face.

_What on earth could he be grinning about?_

Erik thought smugly. It did not take long for it to hit him though.

_Christine! He must have Christine!_

Erik felt anger rise through his body like boiling water, and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to kill the Victome. What had he done with her?

He took a few deep breaths, deciding that it would not be wise to just burst in there without a plan, and not so much as an obvious clue that he truly did have Christine.

Except his grin; that was fairly obvious. Erik thought with displeasure.

For all he knew, Christine could have gotten lost and still be making her way here at this very moment. He had to be sure. So, slinking away he made his way to the room Christine had been staying in before she had come back. He made his way to the balcony fairly quickly. Soon he was close enough to peak through the window to see what was going on.

As his eyes adjusted to looking through the glass, he saw Christine laying on her bed, crying. The anger returned and he did not think of why she was crying. Only the fact that she was crying, and it was probably because of Raoul.

Without a second thought, he descended back to ground level to finally take care of what he should have done in the first place.

Erik made his way through an entrance where nobody was and was soon in the house. He smiled to himself, because he knew he was still utterly undetected.

He stood and listened to the sounds of the house, wanting to find the boy without having to search. Most people would be greeted with silence, but Erik heard the light clinking of glasses together coming from a closed door not too far away.

Erik grinned as he began making his way towards it, having no doubt that was where either Raoul or Philippe were. He looked towards the front door and saw the back of one of the guards through a nearby window. He looked fairly bored, and from the way he was standing, he was beginning to get tired. Erik turned away right before the guard turned to look casually into the window, seeing Erik walking towards the library. Erik heard a cry from him as he alerted his partner of an intruder. Within a moment, the door was swung open and both guards hurried inside. Erik was faster though.

He made an angry sound as he continued walking towards the door, which he heard shuffling coming from inside. Just as he was reaching for the handle, the door flew open to reveal a very scared looking Raoul.

Erik lunged forward, but was captured by the guards, one on each arm.

"What have you done to Christine?" His voice boomed through the large house, echoing off every wall.

**Genny's Note: Okay, so it will not let be see my reviews, which angers me! So I was not able to reply to them, but I want to thank you all for being so supportive of this story! Anyways, one long chapter where everything goes down, an epilogue, and then folks, it is over! I cannot believe I continued this story to the end, because I usually drop my stories before I can even begin to plan how it is going to end. It is all because of you guys (: Thanks again.**

And yes, this was a filler chapter. That is why I put it up the very next day. I was not going to make you guys wait a week for this.  



	19. Brutality

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Nineteen: Brutality  
By Genevieve Lee

**Lady** **Wen**: I just wanted to get a little of what Erik is thinking. I made sure not to make you guys not wait at all for that one though (:

**AngelBabe2000**: Don't worry. I am really hoping to finish this by maybe Sunday so I can get started on my summer work. Eep!

**Mirror to My Soul**: Of course the Opera Ghost can outsmart anyone! That's what makes him the Opera Ghost. Hehe (:

**AnimeKitty47**: Haha. I finished "The Golden Dolphin" when I was nine, but I'm not gunna count that.

**Leia**: I must admit I the when the site has delays. It bugs me immensely, especially when I can't get a chapter up!

Thank you to all my reviewers!

**POV: Christine**

-----

_Brutality (noun)_

_The state or quality of being ruthless, cruel, harsh, or unrelenting._

Christine waited until Raoul shut the door before she let her emotions get the better of her. As soon as she heard the door click shut, the tears that were pooling her eyes finally began to fall down her cheeks. Se threw herself on the bed and sobbed.

_Erik was dead!_

He was gone. Taken from her forever, and she could not help but feeling like this was somehow her fault. She knew he was doing all of this for her. All of this was to keep her safe. And what had happened to him? He had perished! And all for her sake!

She could barley stand the thought. The gendarmes had taken the love of her life away from her and she was never going to see him again. It was too much to ask, wasn't it? For her and Erik to have a simple relationship was impossible. Everyone was against it. Why had they thought it could work? She should have just stayed with Raoul after the fire then maybe Erik would be in another country, getting over her, and then he could live his life. Now, he had none.

She knew everyone was going to argue with her that it was not her fault, but she knew it was. She knew she would never get over her grief. She would spend the rest of her life alone.

A crash and some yelling from downstairs broke her thoughts, but she could not make out the words. Her heart skipped a beat but before she could think anything of it there was a knock on door and she sat up, staring into the darkness. Raoul surely knew she would be overcome with grief, so why was she being bothered?

"I would prefer some privacy."

"I am sorry to disturb you mademoiselle but the Comte has asked me to deliver a message to you."

Christine sat up straighter on the bed and wiped the excess tears from her cheeks; all the while wondering what Philippe could possible want to say to her.

"Come in." She said, trying to keep her voice steady but failing miserably.

A maid quickly ushered into the room and went over to Christine. "There is an intruder downstairs and the Comte has requested we all stay upstairs." She said in a rushed tone, obviously in distress.

Christine's heart skipped a beat. Could it be someone coming to take her? Did someone think she had been Erik's accomplice?

The thought was silly really, for she had been a baby, perhaps a toddler, when this had all happened.

"Yes, but mademoiselle, was it the gendarmes?" She asked quickly as she looked eagerly into the face of the middle-aged woman.

"Well, I only caught a glance of him before I ran upstairs. It was a man with a mask over half his face. Thank goodness the gendarmes are here tonight!"

_A man with half a mask…_

Christine sprang up so fast; it sent the maid stumbling backwards. "Mademoiselle!" She said, obviously surprised.

Christine wasted no time in gathering her skirts and running from the room, the maid's cries of protests following her. She listened not though, knowing she would not pursue her downstairs where she had been forbidden. Halfway down the stairs, she began screaming Erik's name.

"Erik!" She sobbed as she ran down the stairs over clumsy feet. "Erik! Where are you?"

"Christine?" A voice returned and Christine almost paused to sigh with relief at the sound of Erik's voice. Almost.

"ERIK!" She screamed his name this time, hoping he would return the favor so she would know where he was.

Thankfully, he did and Christine followed the sound all the way to the library. She burst through the door before anyone could stop her and she observed the scene before her.

In the right corner stood Philippe, with some kind of satisfied look on his face, where as Raoul stood a little closer to the door, looking extremely worried. Frantically, she continued looking through the room, tearing it apart with her eyes until in finally landed on the left shadowed corner where Erik stood, restrained by two gendarmes.

Christine made a noise between anger and relief as she sprang towards Erik. "Let him go!" Raoul's arms snaked around her waist as he pulled her back.

"Christine, calm down!" He said in a concerned tone.

She did not listen though as she began kicking a flailing about. "No! Let me go! You lied to me!" She sneered as she continued fighting.

"Leave her out of this!" Erik barked from his corner.

"Let me try." Philippe stepped forward as if he was coming to train a wild animal rather than calm a distressed woman. When he was about a foot from her he spoke to her calmly. "Mademoiselle, we have your fiancée in the hands of the gendarmes who would kill him at the moment we give word. You would not want that, would you?"

Christine shook her head in obvious agreement.

Philippe gave a satisfied smile, letting the deeper meaning sink in. "Good."

Finally Raoul released her and Christine stood still, not running towards Erik as she had been before.

"Please, she has nothing to do with this. Just leave her!" Erik pleaded.

This worried Christine. She had never seen him plead for anything but her love, he never groveled for anything. "Erik…" She uttered his name in a half sob, not knowing what was going to become of them.

_He's alive though! At least now we have a chance!_

"You do not know what your fiancée has done, do you?" Philippe said as he eyed Christine, still making sure she was not going to begin her tirade again.

"Yes. I do know." She said, surprising both de Chagnys. She then looked over at Erik and with a small smile said, "I forgave him."

"You what?" Raoul looked at her incredulously.

"I forgave him." Christine repeated, shooting Raoul a glare. She was still bitter at him for lying to her about something as important as Erik being dead.

"How can you do that? After knowing he killed my father?" Raoul shouted at her.

Christine turned to face her old lover and friend. "Everyone has made mistakes in the past!" She shot back. "Erik is a better person. I have no reason to hold over him what he regrets!"

"How do you know he regrets it?" Raoul yelled back.

"Because I told her I did." Erik said from his corner.

"You have killed many others, I was almost included in that count." Raoul said, looking over to Erik.

"Most were because I had to, and most I regret!" Erik answered, keeping his voice hard but steady.

"Do convince us, Monsieur Phantom, why do you regret it?"

"I have nothing to prove to you." Erik said, but his eyes flicked desperately up to Christine's, as if silently willing her to leave.

"Why were these murders required of you?" Philippe asked in an innocent tone. "Let us find out. Remove his mask."

Christine let out a horrified gasp and even Raoul looked as if he knew that was a bad idea. Both gendarmes stood uncomfortably for a moment, before Philippe barked the same orders in a more commanding tone.

One of then men leaned his hand forward to remove his mask, and just as it his the ground, Christine rushed over and stood in front of him, obscuring Erik's face from everyone's view.

"That is not required!" Christine's tone held an authorized iciness to it, shocking everyone in the room at her sudden change. She could feel Erik struggling behind her, trying to break free of the gendarmes. She turned around, being sure to still cover Erik. Not one of the four men moved as they watched the short tender moment before them.

Christine bent down and retrieved his mask, and staying bent she remained at her fiancée's level. She gave a quick kiss to his sunken cheek before replacing his mask.

Erik gazed at her with loving eyes before whispering. "Christine, leave! This is my battle to fight, not yours!"

"No Erik, I--"

"Perhaps that is a good idea." Philippe interjected and he walked forward. Christine quickly stood to her full height as he came towards her.

"Don't touch her!" Erik commanded as he began struggling again.

He paid him no heed though as he grabbed Christine's arm and began leading her away. "This issue is not meant for a lady's ears."

Christine began squirming again. "No, I won't leave Erik! Let me go!"

Raoul stepped forward, who had been quiet the past few minutes, and spoke harshly to his brother for the first time. "Philippe, perhaps we should reevaluate out plans…" He looked nervously over at Erik who seemed to be getting stronger than the gendarmes with every passing moment.

"Raoul! You will not turn your back on this family now!"

"I am not turning my back on you! I just thought perhaps--"

"This is about her, is it not?" He lifted her arm up in a wild gesture, making her cry out in pain. "She should mean nothing to you! She is a simple chorus girl for Christ sakes!" As if to underline his meaning he threw Christine carelessly aside.

Christine gripped the ground; apparently she had fallen to it. She gasped in surprise as she scooted herself to sit up on her knees as the brothers continued fighting.

Suddenly, she heard a sickening crunch and she quickly looked over to where Erik was. To her horror, and relief, she saw one of the gendarmes on the floor, obviously dead. Erik had the second one in his Punjab lasso. This was it, their chance to get away. Christine scrambled to her feet, gathered her skirts, and ran towards Erik. As soon as the second man had followed the same fate as the first, the couple sprang into action.

**Genny's Note: Last cliffhanger of the story! I promise! I know I said everything would be resolved in this chapter, but I felt I had more write before the epilogue. This should be good news for your guys! For real this time, one more chapter then an epilogue. Well, please review. (:**


	20. Antagonism

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Twenty: Antagonism  
By Genevieve Lee

**Mirror to My Soul**: Yes, our lovely Erik would do anything to protect Christine! Hehe.

**AngelBabe2000**: I know!! Ahh! I'm so confused on what I should make happen! lol

**Avatarded**: Hehe, it's ok! And yes, that was my favorite part too!

**Lady** **Wen**: Yes, very good distraction! I had to let Erik and Christine have a chance to get away!

**Leia**: Oh yes! I read "Phantom" in March and my friends always tease me because I read it over and over! The part that made me cry first is when Erik's mother would not kiss him! So sad! ): But I've never read the second one you mentioned. I'll have to find a copy.

**AnimeKitty47**: Yes, I did feel bad killing them off, but they should not have touched Erik's mask!

**Rose123459**: Oh, well I hope you are better! And thank you! (:

**Eyeplayclarinet**: Haha, don't worry! I know what you meant! And I agree with you!

Thank you for all the reviews!

**POV- Erik**

----_- _

_Antagonism (noun)  
The relation between opposing principles or forces or factors. _

He had been prepared for Christine to be momentarily paralyzed by what he had just done. He was expecting her to stare in horror at the gendarmes, wasting precious moments in when they could be getting away. To his surprise and relief, she had immediately come to his side, awaiting directions of what to do next. She was not fazed in the slightest, and for that Erik was grateful.

As soon as she was by his side, he did not waste their time with words, though he did believe his eyes showed his gratefulness for her. He had almost suffered the ultimate humiliation when they took away his mask. But his Christine, his precious Christine, had prevented it. She had hidden him from everyone's view, and that made him love her even more than he did before. Now he knew they had to get away. Together.

With these thoughts, he grabbed Christine's hand and quickly walked out the door. The brothers were standing off to the side, and the large library door obscured them from their view, not that they were paying attention anyways. As soon as they were out of that room, he began thinking of the best door to use. Deciding to use the back door, which was closer to Caser anyways, he began tugging Christine in that direction. But not before they heard raised voices.

"Raoul, they have gotten away!"

"Let them!"

A brief pause. "How can you say that?" It was barley audible.

"I…I just want Christine to be happy."

Christine looked up at Erik and he saw a flash of fear run over her eyes. "Erik, maybe we should--"

Erik firmly shook his head. "No, Christine. We must go."

They then heard no more, but they also did not hear anyone coming after them. Erik breathed a sigh of relief as he opened the door and ushered Christine out. Perhaps they were going to get away. Maybe Raoul had finally understood how much they loved each other and was deciding to let them go. He did not know, but he figured they would know soon enough.

Under the cover of darkness, Erik and Christine made their way over to his horse that was in the hidden in the brush on the side on the manor. Quickly Erik untied him as he told Christine to get on. Once he finally undid the reins, he helped Christine the rest of the way up before hopping up himself. He wrapped his arms around Christine's waist to reach the reins before he sent his horse off.

-----

Erik threw the front door open and let Christine walk in first. The house was quiet and the sun had just begun to peak over the horizon, splashing the sky with shades of pink and yellow. Erik knew everyone was probably still asleep, oblivious to what had occurred. They all still thought Christine was asleep in her bed! As they walked in, he saw Nadir was still slumped in the chair, asleep.

"Christine, go get Madame Giry and Meg. We have much to discuss."

She nodded and left the room and disappeared down the hall. Erik ran a hand through his hair, looking forward to when his and Christine's relationship wasn't so business-like. He then walked into the living room and stood by Nadir for a moment, contemplating how to wake him up.

"Daroga!" Erik simply yelled.

Startled awake, he jumped from his seat in alarm. He turned to see his friend. "Erik?" He paused, as if needing to confirm it was he. Squinting in the still dark room he smiled. "Erik! What happened?"

"Mon Dieu, Erik."

Erik turned to see Madame Giry striding into the room with a very sleep looking Meg trailing behind.

Madame's usually taut hair was left about her face, something Erik had never seen before.

Within moments, he and Christine were bombarded with questions.

"Erik, what happened?"

"What did you do?"

"Christine, why are you dressed?"

"Tell me the de Chagnys are still alive!"

"What is going to happen next?"

Erik sighed as Christine gave him a look of amusement. Erik held up his hands to signify silence, which quickly fell over the small group.

"I will tell you what happened."

And he did. During his retelling, he realized something.

In all honesty, he was disappointed in Christine. He had told her to stay with the Girys and Nadir, so she could be safe, and she had left. She could have been hurt if it weren't for them being able to get away! He would not voice this though, because he knew she was just trying to help, even though she had ended up causing more chaos. The again, he had no idea what would happen if she had not been there.

There was still a problem though.

He was in the same place he was earlier that night if not worse. He still had no solved what was going on. At least his Christine was safe. That was his main priority. He had made very rash decisions that night, and perhaps it would do everyone some good if he discussed their course of action.

This would be best. He could not think of a solitary thing that would ensure their safety and a life where they did not have to be constantly scanning the papers for information of the ongoing search for Monsieur Destler, the murder of the de Chagny father. He knew Nadir and Madame Giry would help.

After he finished he glanced up at the three people who were seated in front of them, and they were silent. Erik squeezed Christine's hand nervously as they waiting for a response.

"What are you going to do?" Nadir finally asked.

Erik sighed. "I do not know."

It was quiet for a moment more as everyone thought of the current situation at hand. Suddenly though, thoughts were broken as a knock sounded at the door. Nadir stood to answer it and everyone looked in the direction Nadir had left nervously. After a few mumbled sentences and the sound of the door shutting, Nadir returned back to the room.

"Nadir, who--" Erik stopped short when he saw Raoul de Chagny follow Nadir into the room. Erik immediately got up and stood in front of Christine protectively.

"What are you doing here, Victome?"

Raoul held his hands up in surrender. "I am here alone, I promise."

"How did you find us?" Christine's small voice rung out behind Erik.

"I…um…" He paused, as if trying to word his statement in the correct way. "…I followed you." Erik took a step forward and Raoul stumbled backwards, aware of his power and anger. "I just wanted to say something."

"Why should we listen to you?"

It was quiet. He did not seem to have an answer.

"Because, it won't hurt to simply hear me through."

Erik made a motion with his hand and the three other people left, leaving Erik, Raoul, and Christine.

"Fine, but if you say anything I do not like--"

Christine laid a hand on his arm, silencing him.

Raoul took a deep breath. "I just wanted to say that I convinced Philippe to call off the search."

"Why would you do that?" Erik asked, obviously surprised.

Raoul mustered up a small glare. "It was not for you." He set his eyes upon Christine. "It was for you. I know you love him, and I want you to be happy. That is all I ever wanted Christine." Tears brimmed in his eyes.

"Thank you Raoul I'm glad you understand." She stepped out from behind Erik, and though he did not like it, he let her walk forward towards her old friend.

"Just do one thing for me Christine."

She nodded as she stopped in front of him.

"I want you to have a good life."

She gave a small, sad smile. "I will Raoul. I want you to know that Erik is going to treat me right."

He nodded. "I know that now, Christine."

She stepped forward and embraced him. "You have a good life now, too Raoul. You will always be my best friend."

When they pulled apart, Raoul turned to Erik and gave a stiff bow, which Erik returned.

Raoul then left, leaving the couple to give a huge sigh of relief.

**Genny's Note: Epilogue time! But I want to know from you guys… Would you rather the epilogue be… **

**1. ****A cheesy wedding.  
Or…  
2. ****A cheesy look at their lives ten years from now. **

**It's up to you guys! I will leave the polls (hehe, this is fun) open until Thursday afternoon when I have to write it, because I am leaving for 2 days, come home, go to a wedding the next day, then I start school! Eep! Well, let me know in a review! (:**


	21. Epilogue

Pursuit of Your Deepest Urge©  
Chapter Twenty-one: Epilogue  
By Genevieve Lee

**POV: Christine  
Ten Years Later…**

-----

_Epilogue (noun)  
A concluding part added to a literary work, as a novel._

Christine looked at herself in the mirror as she observed her sickly looking face. Her eyes seemed to have sunk into her skull. She sighed as she pushed her hair away and grabbed it, pulling it into a modest bun. She had no idea she was going to tell Erik. She laughed at herself.

"It's the third time, for heavens sakes! You'd think I would not be worried!" She said to herself as she stepped over to her wardrobe. She picked out a pretty dress and then went to stand behind her dressing screen to change. She tugged on the dress, having some trouble putting it on, as she had decided to abandon the corset. After a few minutes she emerged and stepped outside her room.

She knew Erik was probably hard at work in his music room, as he usually was until around midday. She did not mind though, she had other things to busy herself. She made her way down the hallway and opened one of the other bedroom doors silently, hoping the slumbering form on the other side would not wake. She stepped into the dark room and shut the door quietly behind her. She walked over to the bed in the center and sat on the edge.

She rubbed her back gently, which was hidden beneath the large blanket. She bent down and kissed her cheek, softly whispering that it was time to wake up. She moved around a little and looked up at Christine. Adele had Christine's curls, but her fathers dark hair. Since both Erik and Christine had fair skin, their daughter did as well. Her eyes were brown and big, just like her mothers.

"Come on little one, it is time to wake up."

"Mother, can't I have a few more minutes?"

"No, you have slept long enough." Christine told her daughter as she stood and opened the curtains, light flooding into the room. Her daughter attempted to hide beneath the covers and Christine laughed. She sat back down on the bed and pulled the covers off of her head.

"Adele!" She laughed. "If I tell you a secret, will you get out of bed?"

The nine-year-old girl sat up suddenly and nodded excitedly. "Yes! I will get out of bed! What is it mother, a new dress?"

Christine shook her head, hoping Adele would keep her secret. "Adele, I am going to have another baby!"

Adele's face exploded into a smile. "Another baby? Oh, Mama, that's wonderful! But do you think you can have a girl this time! I want a little sister so dreadfully!"

Christine laughed. "I cannot control what I have, but you have to promise me something. Don't tell Papa yet. I am not too sure how I will break the news to him."

Adele giggled. "I won't tell Mama!"

Christine smiled. "Good! Now, do as you promised! Get out of bed!" Christine stayed in her room until she crawled out of bed, before leaving her to get ready.

She took a few steps before coming to another door. She opened it carefully and walked in; using the same method she did for Adele.

"Come on, my darling boy. It is time to get up!" She whispered in his ear.

She watched her son sit up and rub his eyes before looking fondly at his mother. Rey had his mother's chocolate colored hair that was straight, like Erik's. He also inherited his father's golden eyes.

"Mama, are we still going to the beach today?"

"Yes, as soon as our Papa is done with his music we will all go down to the beach and eat lunch there. How does that sound?"

"Good!" The four-year-old replied.

"But get up so I can get you and your sister breakfast!"

The young boy, named Rey, got out of bed, and Christine helped him dress. As they emerged from his room, Adele did as well. The children immediately went to one another and began discussing their plans at the beach today. Adele looked back at her mother, a look of question in her eyes. Christine put a finger to her lips, telling her daughter to remain silent about the baby around her brother. She knew Rey would promise to keep quiet, but would most likely tell his father on accident, and Christine wanted to tell him.

She ushered her children downstairs and told them to go play for a while, but to not disturb their father. She knew Erik became rather moody when the children burst into the room, begging him to hide them from the others.

Christine then began making breakfast, as her and Erik had decided against servants, They did have one maid, who did the cleaning and laundry, but Christine preferred to take care of her own children and cook.

It did not take long to have a small breakfast ready for their family. Almost as soon as she set the food down on the table, her children came running in, Adele in the lead.

"I win!" Adele yelled, clutching Christine's skirt. "I touched Mama's dress first!"

Rey's face broke into a small pout. "No you didn't…"

"Yes I did!" She held the hem up triumphantly. "See?"

"But, you started before I did…" Rey said, a pitiful look on his face.

"I did not, you--"

"Adele! Rey! That is quiet enough!"

Both children heard the booming authority in their father's voice and kept silent. Christine turned to face her husband and smiled. "Good morning, Erik."

"Good morning, my love." He returned the smile and walked forward, giving her a chaste kiss, which earned groans from their children.

"Why do you always kiss her?" Rey asked, utterly disgusted.

"Because we love each other." Christine explained patiently. "One day, you will fall in love with someone too, and you will want to kiss them all the time."

Rey looked horrified. "No, I will never fall in love!"

Adele giggled. "He doesn't understand much, does he Mama?" She asked, trying to be included with the adults. Adele was quite mature for her age.

The family sat down for breakfast and ate in silence for a few moments, except for Adele and Rey who continued talking about what they were going to do at the beach.

Erik turned to his wife. "My dear, you look quite pale. Are you alright?"

Christine smiled. "Yes, I am fine Erik. But there is something I would like to tell you."

Adele abandoned her conversation with Rey and looked at her mother. "Oh, Mama, are you telling him now?"

"Telling me what?" Erik looker perplexed.

"Adele…" Christine warned.

"Mama is having another baby!"

Christine put her face in he hands and shook her head.

_So much for a surprise._

She could not help but laugh at her daughter's eagerness.

Erik looked over at Christine. "Christine, are you really pregnant again?"

Christine emerged from behind her hands with a big smile on her face. "Yes Erik. We are now expecting our third."

Erik stood from the table and Christine met him halfway for an embrace.

"That is wonderful! But are you feeling okay? We don't have to go to the beach today if--"

"What?" Adele asked, horrified.

"But we have to go!" Rey said.

Christine giggled. "I am fine Erik. We promised the children we would take them." Erik always worried over her too much when she was pregnant.

She remembered when she was expecting Adele, how terrified Erik was.

"_But Christine, what if our child looks like me?" He motioned to the mask._

"_Erik! It will not matter! He or she will have something you did not, a loving and doting family. We will just have to take whatever we have as a blessing."_

Luckily though, Adele was a normal baby who took to both her parents immediately.

For Adele, when she was about three, Christine had made Erik take off his mask and Christine explained to her what was wrong with her father, but then Erik showed her he was still the same person. It was a bit frightful to her at first, but she learned to accept it. They had repeated the same thing with Rey, and although Erik usually wore his mask, if he ever needed to take it off, there was no shock.

"Fine, if you kids like, we may go earlier. I need a break today anyways."

The children celebrated their being able to spend a few more days at the beach by helping their mother make the lunches. Within the next hour, Erik and Christine were seated on a blanket in the sand while their children ran around in the water with one another. The beach was directly behind their house, which they had bought as soon as they could leave Nadir's home for their house in Sweden, where Christine had always wished to return.

Their house was secluded, their nearest neighbors were about a mile away each, but Christine had made friends with them, and then eventually Erik had too. Christine knew Adele had taken to one of their neighbor's sons, Jules who was only a few years older than she was. She smiled, thinking that one day, they may just get married.

Christine knew she had the perfect life, and she sighed contently as she laid her head on her husband's shoulder.

"What do you want the baby to be?"

Erik kissed the top of her head before responding. "I do not care. As long as he or she is healthy."

Christine smiled. "Adele wants a little sister, and I am sure Rey wants a little brother. I guess we will see though."

"What would you like?"

Christine sighed. "Honestly? Probably another little girl. They are a lot easier to raise than boys."

"For you, at least."

Christine hit his shoulder playfully. "Stop it! You know you love Adele!"

Both of their gazes were drawn to their children who were now trying to make a sand castle.

"I do. I love our family."

"I do too." She paused. "Do you think we will have any more children after this one?"

Erik grinned. "I do not know. Three is a pretty satisfactory number, don't you think?"

"Yes." Christine sighed in agreement as she snuggled closer to her husband who wrapped his arm around her.

Three was not nearly a large enough number, for Erik and Christine Destler ended up bringing five children into the world.

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**Erik and Christine Destler Family Tree**

Adele Ava Destler

Rey Christopher Destler

Emma Gabrielle Destler

Sophia Caitlin Destler

William Tanner Destler

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**Genny's Note: Weird that this is the last chapter I will be writing for the story. I had to write it a day earlier because I am going to Disneyland on last minute plans tomorrow. Yay! Then I have other things to do this weekend, and then school starts. I had to make sure I got around to this! I did not reply to reviews in this one, because most were just their vote and there was nothing to reply to.**

**Thank you so much for reading this far! It is all over and I hope you like how their lives together turned out.**

**I will now be working on "Dreams" and I plan on posting a chapter tomorrow morning before I leave so be on the lookout (;**

**I love you all for reading and reviewing!!**


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